Mediation and Atonement of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

*//£

AN EXAMINATION INTO AND AN ELUCIDATION OF THE
GREAT PRINCIPLE OF THE

MEDIATION and ATONEMENT

OF

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

By PRESIDENT JOHN TAYLOR.

"Wherefore the fruit of thy loins shall write, and the fru'l of the loins
of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins,
and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins 01 Judah, shall
grow together unto the confounding of false doctrines, and laying down of con-
tentions." — Gen., 1, 31, Inspired Translation.

"For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the
north and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words
which I speak unto them: for out of the books which shall be written, I will
judge the world, every man according to their works, according that which is
written. For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews, and they shall write it; and
I shall also speak unto the Nephites, and they shall write it; and I shall also
speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and
they shall write it; and 1 shall also speak unto all nations of the earth, and
they shall write it. And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the
words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and
the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and
the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.
And it shall come to pass that my people which are of the house of Israel,
shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also
jhall be gathered in one." — 2 Nephi, xxix, 11 — 14.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH:
Deseret News Publishing Co., Printers and Publishers.

1892.

THE LIBRARY

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY

PROVO, UTAH

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Introductory — Christ's Testimony with regard to His Sufferings— Christ

came to do the Will of His Father— The Testimony of the Father

_. at His Baptism and Transfiguration. 7

CHAPTER II.

The Testimony of Jesus the Spirit of Prophecy — The Declarations of
the Ancient Servants of God— .Extracts from the Writings and Tes-
timonies of Moses, Job, David, Isaiah, Zechariah, Micah and Hosea,
to be found in the Old Testament, with re marks. 12

CHAPTE R TIT-^

Extracts from the New Testament, touching the Personal History of
the Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrine of the Atonement — Remarks

o n the " Ti mes of Refreshing" — Results accruing to the^RflffoftTn pr
through His Death on the Cross^^eic^- 20

CHAPTER IV.

Extracts from the Pearl of Great Price and Inspired Translation of
Genesis— Record of Moses regarding Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham
and Joseph, and of their Faith in the Coming of the Savior. 36

CHAPTER V.

The Book of Mormon and the Atonement — Extracts from the Books of
Ether, Nephi, Mosiah, Alma, Helaman and Mormon. 40

CHAPTER VI.

Extracts from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants — Christ's Testimony
of Himself, of His Power and Calling, etc. — Testimony of Joseph
Smith and Sidney Rigdon — Record of John the Baptist— Extract
from a Sermon by President Brigham Young. **■ 55

4 CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VII.

Introduction to the Historical Portion of this Treatise— The Dealings of
God with Adam, Cain and Abel— The Institution of Sacrifice— The
Symbolism of this Bite — The Words of the Angel to Adam— Luci-
fer— His Rebellion in Heaven— His Conflict with Michael for the
Body of Moses— He tempts Christ— He is cast into a Lake of Fire
and Brimstone. 61

CHAPTER VIII.

Seth— His Sacrifice Accepted— Rebellion in the Heavens— The Gathering
of the Patriarchs in the Valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman— Sacrifices
Offered There. 67

CHAPTER- IX

Enoch, his Life and Translation — References to Him by Paul and Jude —
Copious Extracts from His Prophecy — The Prophet Joseph Smith
on Enoch and the Doctrine of Translation — The Office of Trans-
lated Saints — Enoch's Future Work — Translation and Resurrection-
Christ the Creator— Summary of the Results of Enoch's Faith in
the Saving Blood of Christ. 71

CHAPTER X.

Noah — His Sacrifice — God's Covenant with Him— Melchizedek — His Priesf
hood — Its Powers — Instances thereof Recorded in the Bible, in th
Book of Mormon and in Latter-days — All Power of the Priesthooc
the Result of Faith in Christ, and Impossible without the Atone-
ment — The Power of the Priesthood the Power of God — The Glory
of God in the Immortality of Man— Christ the Word, the Cre-
ator. 81

CHAPTER XI.

Abraham's Record Concerning the Creation — The Council in Heaven—
The Father's Plan, the Son's Acceptance. Satan's Rebellion — The
Agency of Man— Suggestions Regarding Satan's Plan to Save All
Mankind. 91

CHAPTER XII.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — Sacrifices Offered by Them — Abraham and
the Gospel Covenant — Extracts from the Book of Abraham and the
Writings of Paul. 99

CHAPTER XIII.

Sacrifices in the Days of Moses — The Institution of the Passover and
the Exodus — The Symbolism of the Paschal Lamb— The Covenant
of the Atonement between Christ and His Father — The Redeemed—
Tokens of Covenants — The Rainbow — The Name of Jesus the Only
Name— The Levites. 103

CONTENTS. 5

CHAPTER XIV.

History of Sacrifices and the Law of Moses among the Nephites — Ref-
erences to the Books of Nephi, Jacob, Mosiah and Alma — The Tes-
timony of Jesus regarding the Law of Moses. 109

CHAPTER XV.

The Offering of Sacrifice in the Times of the Restitution of all Things
— Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith thereon — The Sons of
Levi — Malachi's Prophecy — The Dispensation of the Fulness of
Times. 119

CHAPTER XVI.

Brief Retrospect of the History of Sacrifice and its Symbolism— The
Passover and the Lord's Supper — Christ's Relation to Both these
Ordinances— The Last Supper. 124

>> ^ fiTTAPT-TCR XVTT ,

The Atonement and the Resurrection — Adam and Christ — Why a Law
was Given unto Adam — The Results of Disobedience to that Law —
Testimony of our First Parents— " Adam fell that Man might be"—
The Fall a Necessary Portion of the Plan of Salvation— God's Plan
a Merciful Plan— The Plan of Lucifer— Man's Free Agency— The

P Cnain Complete. 12S

CHAPTER XVIII.

Christ as the Son of God— A Comparison between His Position, Glory,
etc., and those of other Sons of God— His Recognition by the
Father— Christ called the Very Eternal Father. 135

i

"hapter XIX.

Man as Man— His Excellency and His Limitations— Salvation and Eter-
nal Progression Impossible without the Atonement — In Christ only
can All be made Alive. 139

r v&feHAPTER XX.

Christ to be Subject to Man— His Descent below alt Things— Man's
Condition had there been no Atonement — The Sons of God — Man's
Inability to Save Himself— Christ's Glory before the World Was—
Necessity for an Infinite Atonement — The Father and Son have
Life in Themselves. 142

6 CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXI.

The Relation of the Atonement to Little Children — Jesus Assumes the
Responsibility of Man's Transgression, and Bears the Weight of his
Sins and Sufferings — The Inferior Creatures and Sacrifice — The Ter-
rors and Agonies of Christ's Passion and Death — The Tribulations,
Earthquakes, etc., when He gave up the Ghost— Universal Nature
Trembles— The Prophecies of Zenos and Enoch — The Testimony
of the Centurion — Heirship, and the Descent of Blessings and
Curses. 148

CHAPTER XXII.

The Operations of the Priesthood in the Heavens and upon the Earth,
in Time and Eternity — The Heirs of the Celestial Kingdom — Those
who Die without Law — The Judges of the Earth — Priests and Kings
— Christ the King of Kings — Condition of Patriarch Joseph Smith,
Apostle David Patten and Others— Moses and Elias — The Visits of
Angels and their Testimonies — Peter, James and John — The Angel
in the Book of Revelation. 154

CHAPTER XXIII.

The Laws of God Unchangeable, Universal and Eternal— Examples and
Definitions — Evolutionists — Kingdoms and Light — Christ the Creator,
etc. — Deviations from General Laws — Every Kingdom has a Law
Given. 160

CHAPTER XXIV.

The Results of the Atonement — The Debt Paid — Justice and Mercy—
Extracts from the Teachings of Alma and Others. 170

CHAPTER XXV.

The Resurrection — The Universality of the Atonement— The Promises
to those who Overcome — The Gospel— Its First Principles— Faith,
Repentance, Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost— Its Antiquity
— It is Preached in Various Dispensations, from Adam until the
Present — The Final Triumph of the Saints. 177

THE MEDIATION jND ATONEMENT

OF

OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

CHAPTER I.

Introductory— Christ's Testimony with regard to His Sufferings— Christ
came to do the Will of His Father — The Testimony of the Father
at His Baptism and Transfiguration.

In the last chapter of St. Luke's Gospel is to be
found a deeply interesting account of several events that
took place on the day that the Redeemer was resurrected.
Amongst other incidents, he relates that on that day
two of the disciples took a melancholy journey from Jeru-
salem to the neighboring village of Emmaus. Whilst they
walked, the sadness of their hearts found expression on
their tongues, and they mournfully rehearsed to each
other the story of the crucifixion of their Master. By
and by, they were joined by an apparent stranger, who,
though none other than the resurrected Savior, was not
recognized by them. In answer to His inquiries, they
repeated the sad history of the days just passed, and
expressed the disappointment that His death had brought,
for they trusted that it had been He who should have
redeemed Israel. Then Jesus said unto them, "0 fools,
and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have
spoken I Ought not Christ to have suffered these things,
and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses,

8 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all
the scriptures the things concerning Himself." — Luke, xxiv,
25—27.

When they reached Emmaus, with characteristic east-
ern hospitality, they constrained the stranger to abide
with them. He consented, and as they sat at meat He
took bread, and blessed it, brake and gave unto them.
Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him, and
He vanished out of their sight. "And they rose up the
same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the
eleven gathered together and them that were with them,
saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to
Simon. And they told what things were done in the
way, and how He was known of them in break-
ing of bread. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself
stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace
be unto you."

After the Savior had convinced the disciples then
present of His identity, and had partaken of some
broiled fish and an honey comb, He said unto them,
"These are the words which I spake unto you, while I
was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which
were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets,
and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened h©
their understanding, that they might understand the
scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written,
and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from
the dead the third day : And that repentance and re-
mission of sins should be preached in his name among
all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are wit-
nesses of these things."

One great and very striking statement is here made
by the Lord Himself, to the effect that it behooved
Christ to suffer, and the question at once presents itself
before us, why did it behoove Him? Or why was it
necessary that He should suffer ? For it would seem from
His language, through His siuTerings, death, atone-
ment and resurrection, "that repentance and remission
of sins" could be preached among all nations, and that

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 9

consequently if He had not atoned for the sins of the
world, repentance and remission of sins could not have
been preached to the nations. — ■

A very important principle is here enunciated, one
in which the interests of the whole human family
throughout all the world are involved. That principle
is the offering up of the Son of God, as a sacrifice, an
atonement and a propitiation for our sins. Jesus said, He
came not to do His will, but the will of His Father,
who sent Him. He came, as we are told, to take
away sin by the sacrifice of Himself; and not only did
He come, but He came in acco rdance with ce rtain pre-
conceived_ ideas _that had been entertained and t estified
of by Prophets and men of God in all preceding ages^
oFTrom the days of Adam to__the__days__of John_ the
JtJaptist^ the Tatter being His precursor or forerunner,
who indeed, when he saw Him coming, made the declar-
ation, Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the
sin of the world. At His baptism the Spirit of God
bore witness to this testimony and descended upon Jesus
in the form of a dove, or, rather, the form of a dove was
the sign of the Holy Spirit; whilst a voice was heard
from heaven proclaiming: "This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased."

This manifestation of God's acknowledgment of His
beloved Son was spoken of by personal witnesses who
bore record to the facts.

Matthew testifies: "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee
to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John
forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee,
and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said
unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh
us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straight-
way out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened*
unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending
like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo, a • voice
from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased.' — Matthew, iii, 13 — 17.

10 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

Whilst Mark relates, "And it came to pass in those
days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and
was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway com-
ing up out of the water, he saw. the heavens opened,
and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him. And
there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my be-
loved Son, in whom I am well pleased." — Mark, i, 9 — 11.

And John, in his Gospel, states that John the Bap-
tist bare record, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending
from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize
with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou
shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him,
the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
And I saw and bare record, that this is the Son of
God."— John, i, 32—34.

We have this great truth of the open recognition of
Jesus, by His Father, as His beloved Son, again enun-
ciated when the three Apostles, Peter, James and John,
were on the Mount, and Jesus was transfigured before
them. It is declared that "a bright cloud overshadowed
them: and behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;
hear ye him." — Matthew, xvii, 5.

The Son, thus openly acknowledged, came not to
earth to do His own will, but the will of His Father.
The will of the Father appears to have been that the
Son should suffer, for He, Himself, prayed: "0 my
Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:
nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Matthew,
xxvi, 39.) Or, as the New Translation by the Prophet
Joseph Smith has it, "0 my Father, if this cup may
not pass away from me except I drink it, thy will be
done." The Father did not let it pass from Him; He
therefore drank it, and finally, on the cross He said,
"It is finished," and bowed His head and gave up the
Ghost.

In regard to this Jesus Himself testifies. First to the
Nephites: "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the Pro-

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 11

phets testified shall come into the world; and behold, I
am the light and life of the world; and I have drunk
out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me,
and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the
sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will
of the Father in all things from the beginning." — iii
Nephi, xi, 10, 11.

A.nd again, in this dispensation, He bears witness:
^'For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all,
that they might not suffer if they would repent, but if
they would not repent, they must suffer even as I,
which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of
all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore,
and to suffer both body and spirit: and would that I
might not drink the bitter cup and shrink, nevertheless,
glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my
preparations unto the children of men." — Doc. and Cov.,
xix, 16-19, page 118.

The saying of our Savior, to which we have already
alluded, "Thus it is written and thus it behooved
Christ to suffer," is a very important one, and it would
seem to be necessary, in the consideration of our subject,
for us to obtain, from the writings of the servants of
God that we have, an understanding what these state-
ments were; how extensively they were corroborated by
the sacred records; and what is said with regard to the
necessity of Christ's sufferings thus referred to: and,
furthermore, we may notice the reason why they should
be thus necessary.

In making this examination, we will first quote from
the writings of the Old and New Testaments, and,
although we are informed by later revelations that "many
parts which are plain and most precious" have been taken
away therefrom, yet there is a large amount of testimony left
in this valuable and sacred record, which plainly exhibits
that the principle of the atonement was fully understood
by the Prophets in former ages.

J 2 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

CHAPTER II.

The Testimony of Jesus the Spirit of Prophecy— The Declarations ol
the Ancient Servants of God — Extracts from the Writings ard Tes-
timonies of Moses, Job, David, Isaiah, Zechariah, Micah and Hosea,
to be found in the Old Testament, with remarks.

In the chapter of Luke's Gospel, to which we have
already referred, speaking of Jesus, it is written, "Beginning
with Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto
them in all the Scriptures the things concerning him-
self."

If this be taken in the fullest sense, and we know
of no reason why it should not thus be received, there
is a great principle developed, which is, that not only
Moses, but alL_the Prophets, testified concerning the
coming Redeemer. As elsewhere stated, this must have
been the case, for we are told that "the testimony of
Jesus is the spirit of prophecy;" and this being admit-
ted, how could they have the spirit of prophecy, or be
Prophets without having the testimony of Jesus? And
we are told further that the Prophets sought "what
mannei of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them
did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings
of Christ, and the glory that should follow." — 1 Peter, i, 11.

These scriptures evidently show that the testimony
of Jesus was the very principle, essence and power of
the spirit of prophecy whereby they were inspired.

We find a great many statements corroborative of
these facts in those portions of the writings and pro-
phecies of the ancient servants of God, that have been
handed down to us in the Old Testament, and from
these testimonies we select a few to show how various
and how detailed have been the inspired utterances re-
garding the life and death of the Messiah.

"The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Pro-

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 1&

phet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like
unto me, [Moses,] unto him ye shall hearken. * *

* And the Lord said unto me, They have well
spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them
up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto
thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he
shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not
hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my
name, I will require it of him." — Deut., xviii, 15, 17 — 19.

"For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he
shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And
though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in
my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for my-
self, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another;
though my reins be consumed within me." — Job, xix,
25—27.

"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine
a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord
and against his Anointed, saying, Let us break their
bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord
shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto
them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore dis-
pleasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill
of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said
unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten
thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen
for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with
a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a
potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, ye kings: be
instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with
fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he
be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath
is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put
their trust in him." — Psalm ii, 1 — 12.

While the first portion of the above psalm refers to

14 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

the Anointed of the Lord, and matters that would take
place at His first appearing, still many of the things,
therein mentioned, have not yet transpired. The same
may be said of the following passages from Zechariah,
which speak of His being pierced and of His rejection
by the Jews as a thing accomplished, when at that
time these events had not taken place. But it does
prove that His people would reject and pierce Him, and
that afterwards when He should come as their deliverer
(like Joseph, whom his brethren sold, appeared as their
deliverer in Egypt), they should look upon Him whom
they had pierced. .

"And I will pour upon the house of David, and
upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace
and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom
they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as
one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitter-
ness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first
born." — Zech., xii, 10.

I — And one shall say unto him, What are these

wounds in thy hands? Then he shall answer, Those

with which I was wounded in the house of my friends."

-=— Zech., xiii, 6.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is
given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The
mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of
Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace
there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and
upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with
judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." — Isaiah,
ix, 6, 7.

"Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall
call his name Immanuel." — Isaiah, vii, 14.

"The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my
right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 15

Zion; rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy
people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the
beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning:
thou hast the dew of thy youth. The Lord hath sworn
and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the
order of Melchizedek." — Psalm ex, 1 — 4.

"Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness:
therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the
oil of gladness above thy fellows." — Psalm xlv, 7.

"And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto
them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the
Lord." — Isaiah, lix, 20.

"Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect,
in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my Spirit upon
him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He
shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be
heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break,
and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall
bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor
be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth:
and the isles shall wait for his law . Thus saith God
the Lord, he that created the heavens and stretched
them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that
which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the
people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will
hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee
for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gen-
tiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners
from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of
the prison house. I am the Lord; that is my name:
and my glory will I not give to another, neither my
praise to graven images. Behold, the former things
are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before
they spring forth I tell you of them." — Isaiah, xlii, 1 — 9.

"Who hath believed our report? and to whom is
the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up
before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a
dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when

16 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should
desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man
of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it
were our faces from him; he was despised, and we
esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and
carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for
our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way; and the
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was
oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his
mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and
as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth
not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from
judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he
was cut off out of the land of the living: for the trans-
gression of my people was he stricken. And he made
his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his
death; because he had done no violence, neither was
any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to
bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt
make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed,
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord
shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the tra-
vail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowl-
edge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he
shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him
a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil
with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul
unto death: and he was numbered with the transgres-
sors; and he bare the sin of many, and 'made inter-
cession for the transgressors." — Isaiah, liii, 1 — 12.
I "Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; shout,
/ daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto
/ thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding
upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." —
V Zech., ix, 9.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 17

"And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me
my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my
price thirty pieces of silver." — Zech., xi, 12.

"When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and
called my son out of Egypt." — Hosea, xi, 1.

Regarding which prophecy Matthew writes, "When
he arose he took the young child [Jesus] and his mother
by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until
the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying, Out of
Egypt have I called my Son." — Matthew, ii, 14, 15.

"Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in
Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping
for her children, refused to be comforted for her chil-
dren, because they were not." — Jeremiah, xxxi, 15.

The same evangelist refers also to the fulfilment of
this prophecy: "Then Herod, when he saw that he was
mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent
forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem,
and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and
under, according to the time which he had diligently
inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that
which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In
Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weep-
ing, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her child-
ren, and would not be comforted, because they are not."
— Matth ew, ii, 16—18. ^

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be
I little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee /
shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in'
Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from
everlasting." — Micah, v, 2.

"""Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth:
my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not
leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine
Holy One to see corruption." — Psalm xvi. 9, 10.

This expression of the Psalmist evidently refers to
the resurrection of the Son of God. It is so quoted
by Paul in his sermon at Antioch: "And we declare

18 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was
made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto
us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again;
as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my
Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning
that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to
return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give
you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in
another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to
see corruption. For David, after he had served his own
generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was
laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption. But he, whom
God raised again, saw no corruption." — Acts, xiii, 32 — 37.

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because
the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto
the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-
hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the
opening of the prison to them that are bound; to pro-
claim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of
vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to
appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto
them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the
garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they
might be called Trees of righteousness, The planting of
the Lord, that he might be glorified." — Isaiah, lxi, 1 — 3.

This prophecy is referred to in the following inci-
dent in the— life— of— Jesus, narrated^y-~JLuke:^

"And he came to Nazareth, where he Had been
brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the
synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to
read. And there was delivered unto him the book of
the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book,
he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of
the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal
the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty
them that ar6 bruised, to preach the acceptable year of
the Iiord. And he closed the book, and he gave it

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 19

again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of
all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on
him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this
scripture fulfilled in your ears." — Luke, iv, 16 — 21.

"Lift up your heads, ye gates; and be ye lifted
up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come
in. Who is this King of glory? -The Lord strong and
mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads,
yc gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and
the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of
glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.
Selah." — Psalm xxiv, 7 — 10.

The above is made much more plain in the inspired
version, where it appears as follows:

"Lift up your heads, ye generations of Jacob; and
be ye lifted up; and -the Lord strong and mighty, the
Lord mighty in battle, who is the King of glory, shall
establish you for ever. And he will roll away the
heavens, and will come down to redeem his people, to
make you an everlasting name, to establish you upon
his everlasting rock. Lift up your heads, ye genera-
tions of Jacob; lift up your heads, ye everlasting
generations, and the Lord of hosts, the King of kings,
even the King of glory, shall come unto you; and shall
redeem his people, and shall establish them in righteous-
ness. Selah."

20 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

CHAPTER III.

Extracts from the New Testament, touching the Personal History of
the Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrine of the Atonement — Remarks
on the "Times of Refreshing"— Results accruing to the Redeemer
through His Death on the Cross, etc.

From the New Testament we will first introduce
some texts with regard to the birth of the Savior, fol-
lowed by testimonies of the Lord Jesus with regard to
Himself, and afterwards give extracts from the teachings
and epistles of His disciples, etc.

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise:
When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, be-
fore they came together, she was found with child of
the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a
just man, and not willing to make her a public example,
was minded to put her away privily. But while he
thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord
appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou
son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy
wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou
shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his peo-
ple from their sins. Now all this was done, that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by
the. prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with
child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call
his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God_
with us."— Matthew, i, 18—23. , •—

"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was
sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David; and the virgin's name was
Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail,
thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee;

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 21

blessed art thou among women. And when- she saw
him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her
mind what manner of salutation this should be. And
the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast
found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive
in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his
name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the
Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of his father David. And he shall
reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his king-
dom there shall be- no end. Then said Mary unto the
angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy
Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the
Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy
thing which shall be .born of thee, shall be called the Son
of God. And behold thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath
also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the
sixth month with her who was called barren: for with
God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Be-
hold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me accord-
ing to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill-
country with haste, into a city of Juda, and entered
into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And
it came to pass, that when Elisabeth heard the saluta-
tion of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb: and Elisa-
beth was filled with the Holy Ghost. And she spake
out with a loud voice and said, Blessed art thou among
women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And
whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord
should come to me? For lo, as soon as the voice of
thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in
my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for
there shall be a performance of those things which were
told her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul doth
magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God
my Savior. For he hath regarded the low estate of
his handmaiden: for behold, from henceforth all genera-

22 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

tions shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath
done to me great things; and holy is his name. And
his mercy is on them that fear him, from generation to
generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he
hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their
hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats,
and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the
hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent
empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in re-
membrance of his mercy; as he spake to our fathers,
to Abraham, and to his seed, forever." — Luke, i, 26 — 55.
"And it came to pass in those days, that there
went out a decree from Cesar Augustus, that all the
world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made
when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to
be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph
also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth,
into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called
Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of
David), to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being
great with child. And so it was, that while they were
there, the days were accomplished that she should be
delivered. And she brought forth her first born son,
and wrapped him in swaddling-clothes, and laid him in
a manger: because there was no room for them in the
inn. And there were in the same country shepherds
abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by
night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them;
and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto
them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of
great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you
is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which
te Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you;
/ Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes,
lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the
angel a "multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and
saying, Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 23

angels were gone away from them into heaven, the
shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even
unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to
pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." —
Luke, ii, 1 — 15.

"When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Phil-
ippi, the asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say
that I, the Son of man, am ? And they said, Some say
that thou art John the Baptist : some, Elias : and others,
Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them,
But whom say ye that I am ? And Simon Peter an-
swered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the liv-
ing God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed
art thou, Simon Bar-jona ; for flesh and blood hath not
revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
* * Then charged he his disciples that

they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ." —
Matt., xvi, 13—17, 20.

Of this same conversation Mark records : " And Jesus
went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Cesarea
Philippi : and by the way he asked his disciples, saying
unto them, Whom do men say that I am ? And they
answered, John the Baptist : but some say, Elias ; and
others, one of the prophets. And he saith unto them,
But whom say ye that I am ? And Peter answereth and
saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. And he charged
them that they should tell no man of him. And he
began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer
many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the
chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three
days rise again. And he spake that saying openly." —
Mark, viii, 27—32.

Whilst Luke testifies, "And it came to pass, as he
was alone praying, his disciples were with him ; and he
asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am ?
They answering, said, John the Baptist; but some say,
Elias ; and others say, that one of the old prophets is
risen again. He said unto them, But whom say ye that
I am ? Peter answering, said, The Christ of God. And

24 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell
no man that thing, saying, The Son of man must suffer
many things, and be rejected of the elders, and chief
priests, and -'scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third
day."— Luke, ix, 18—22.

7" For God so loved the world that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not
his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through him might be saved?) — John, iii,
16, 17.

" And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath ; I
am from above : ye are of this world ; I am not of this
world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in
your sins : for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall
die in your sins. Then said they unto him, Who art
thou ? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that
I said unto you from the beginning. I have many things
to say, and to judge of you : but he that sent me, is
true ; and I speak to the world those things which I
have heard of him. They understood not that he spake
to them of the Father. Then said Jesus unto them,
When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye
know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself ;
but as my Father hath taught me I speak these things.
And he that sent me is with me : the Father hath not
left me alone ; for I do always those things that please
him."— John, viii, 23—29.

"Then answered Jesus, and said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of
himself, but what he seeth the Father do ; for what
things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son like-
wise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him
all things that himself doeth : and he will shew him
greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as
the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them ;
even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the
Father judgeth no man ; but hath committed all judg-
ment unto the Son : that all men should honor the Son,

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 25

even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not
the Son, honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.
* * * But I have greater witness than

that of John : for the works which the Father hath
given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear wit-
ness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the
Father himself which hath sent me, hath borne witness
of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time,
nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding
in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
Search the scriptures ; for in them ye think ye have
eternal life : And they are they which testify of me. —
John, v, 19—23, 36—39.

" Jesus heard that they had cast him out: and when
he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe
on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he,
Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said
unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that
talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And
he worshipped him. And Jesus said, For judgment I
am come into this world; that they which see not might
see, and that they which see, might be made blind." —
John, ix, 35—39.

"I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep,
and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me,
even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for
the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of
this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear
my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shep-
herd. * * * My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto
them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father,
which gave them me, is greater than all; and none is
able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and
my Father are one." — John, x, 14 — 16, 27—30.

" And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto
them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands
of men: and they shall kill him, and the third dav

26 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding
sorry."— Matt, xvii, 22, 23.

Of this same prophecy Mark relates: "And they de-
parted thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would
not that any man should know it. For he taught his
disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is deliv-
ered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him;
and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to
askhim^— Mark, ix, 30—32.

And Luke states, "And they were all amazed at
the mighty power of God. But while they wondered
every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto
his disciples, Let these sayings sink down into your
ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the
hands of men. But they understood not this saying,
and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not,
and they feared to ask him of that saying." — Luke, ix,
43—45.

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and
blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples,
and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took
the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying:
Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new
testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of
sins." — Matt., xxvi, 26 — 28.

"And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed,
and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat:
this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he
had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all
drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my
blood of the new testament, which is shed for many."
Mark, xiv, 22—24.

"And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake
it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which
is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Like-
wise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the
new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." —
Luke, xxii, 19, 20.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 27

"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of
his Father, with his angels; and then he shall reward every
man according to his works." — Matt, xvi, 27.

"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little
ones: for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels
do always behold the face of my Father which is in
heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that
which was lost." — Matt., xviii, 10, 11.

"Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee,
into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And
when they saw him they worshipped him : but some
doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost; teaching them -to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with
you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." —
Matt, xxviii, 16—20.

"Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go
away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom
shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And
we believe, and are sure that thou art that Christ, the
Son of the living God."— John, vi, 67—69.

"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel
and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised
up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was
not possible that he should be holden of it." — Acts, ii,
23, 24.

"This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are
witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God
exalted, and having received of the Father the promise
of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, 'which ye
now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the
heavens, but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my
Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy
foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel
know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus

28 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. — Acts
ii, 32—36.

"And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance
ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things!
which God before had shewed by the mouth of all hisj
prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.!
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins
may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall
come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall sendjl
Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; whomlf
the heavens must receive, until the times of restitution
of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of
all his holy prophets, since the world began. For Moses
truly said unto the fathers, A Prophet shall the Lord
your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like
unto me; him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever i
he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that'
every soul which will not hear that Prophet, shall be
destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the)
prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as .
many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these
days."— Acts, iii, 17—24.

Does it not seem from this that these men, having
committed the infamous act of crucifying Jesus, or con-
senting to His death, although they may have done it
ignorantly, could not at that time, even by repentance
and conversion, be placed in a state of salvation, but
that they would have to wait until Jesus Christ should
come again before their sins could be blotted out; when
Jesus Christ should be sent, who before was preached
unto them and whom they had crucified? Is not this
the same condition that the antediluvians were in, when
once the long suffering of God waited in the days of
Noah, when, they were cast into prison and remained
there until the time when Jesus went and preached to
those spirits in prison? In their day they rejected the
offers of mercy through the atonement of Jesus Christ,
as the Jews did in their time; but afterwards they had
the same Gospel preached to them by Jesus, and those

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 29

ews who had participated in those deeds, or who had
;onsented thereto, to whom the Apostle then spake, even
f they then repented, would have to wait for forgive-
less and salvation until Jesus should come again. Fur-
-hermore, the Jews who will live in the times of the
restitution in the last days, after the testimony of the
jospel shall have gone to the Gentiles through this
>ame atonement, and the introduction of the Gospel,
will again have it preached to them on the earth, and
will, through Him, the Elias, or restorer, be gathered
igain to their own land.

"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people
of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead,
even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
This is the stone, which was set at naught of you
builders, which is become the head of the corner. Nei-
ther is there salvation in any other: for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby
we must be saved." — Acts, iv, 10 — 12.

"But he (Stephen), being full of the Holy Ghost,
looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of
God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the
Son of man standing on the right hand of God." — Acts,
vii, 55, 56.

"The place of the Scripture which he read was this,
He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a
lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his
mouth; in his humiliation his judgment was taken away:
and who shall declare his generation? for his life is
taken from the earth." — Acts, viii, 32, 33.

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all
the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath
purchased with his own blood." — Acts, xx, 28.

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him,
and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away
the sin of the world! "—John, i, 29.

30 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glor
of God; being justified freely by his grace, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set
forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that f ,
are past, through the forbearance of God." — Rom., iii,
23—25.

"But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if|
we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from
the dead, who was delivered for our offences, and was
raised again for our justification." — Rom., iv, 24, 25.

" But God commendeth his love toward us, in that
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much
more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall
be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we
were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death
of his Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be
saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in
God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have
now received the atonement. Wherefore as by one man
sin entered into the world, and death* by sin; and so
death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
—Rom., v, 8—12.

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which
I also received, how that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures. And that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day according to the
scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the
twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred
brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto
this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he
was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last
of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of
due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that
am not meet to be called an apostle, because I perse-
cuted the church of God." — 1 Cor., xv, 3—9.

"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein
he hath made us accepted in the Beloved: in whom we
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 31

sins, according to the riches of his grace." — Ephesians,
i, 6, 7.

"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made
us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints
in light: who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of
his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through
his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: who is the
image of the invisible God, the first-born of every crea-
ture. * * * And he is the head of
the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-
born from the dead; that in all things he might have
the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in him
should all fulness dwell; and, having "made peace through
the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things
unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in
earth, or things in heaven." — Col., i, 12 — 15, 18 — 20.

From the above passage we learn that our redemp-
tion is obtained through the blood of Jesus; that He
is in the image of God; again, that He is "the first-
born of every creature;" also that He is "the first-born
from the dead;" and furthermore, that He stands pre-
eminent as the representative of God in the interests of
humanity pertaining to this world, or the world which
i is to come, and that He is the head of the Church, the
Grand Medium through which all blessings flow to the
human family.

" Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy
and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the
rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in
him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily'.
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all
principality and power." — Col., ii, 8 — 10.

"For there is ooe God, and one mediator between"
God and men, 'the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself
a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." — 1 Tim.,
,ii, 5, 6.

" For unto which of the angels said he at any
time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?

32 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be
to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the
first-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the
angels of God worship him." — Heb., i, 5, 6.

"Thou hast put all things in subjection under his
feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him,
he left nothing that is not put under him. But now
we see not yet all things put under him: but we see
Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for
the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor;
that he by the grace of God should taste death for
every man. For it became him, for whom are all
things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many
sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation
perfect through sufferings." — Heb., ii, 8 — 10.

Here we have something said of the results accru-
ing to the Redeemer Himself, through His sufferings and
death. He stands next to the Father, "and is on the
right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers
being made subject unto him." (1 Peter, iii, 22.) Or
as He elsewhere says of Himself, "All power is. given
unto me, in heaven and in earth." And again, it is
written that He "forever sat down on the right hand
of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool;" and "that at the name of Jesus
every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things
in earth, and things under the earth; and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father." (Philippians, ii, 10, 11.)

"For such an high priest became us, who is holy,
harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made
higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as
those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own
sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once,
when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men
high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the
oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is
consecrated forevermore." — Heb., vii, 26 — 28.

There is something peculiar pertaining to the expres-

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 33

sion here used, " forevermore," which manifestly exhib-
its an eternal principle. We find the same expression
(as elsewhere al?vded to) in the Pearl of Great Price.
To Adam it was said, "Thou shalt do all that thou
doest, in the name of the Son. And thou shalt repent,
and call upon God, in the name of the Son forever-
more." The same principle continued both on the
Asiatic and on this continent; and was recognized by all
men of God holding the Melchisedec Priesthood, and
will be recognized throughout all time until the final
consummation of all things, when every knee shall bo^
and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, to the
glory of God, the Father.

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by
his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the
blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer
sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of
the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ,
who through the eternal spirit offered himself without
spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God? * * * And

almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and
without shedding of blood is no remission." — Heb., ix,
12—14, 22.

" By the which will we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And
every priest standeth daily . ministering and offering often-
times the same sacrifices, which can never take away
sins: but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice
for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God:
from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected forever
them that are sanctified." — Heb., x, 10 — 14.

Or, as the thirteenth and fourteenth verses are ren-
dered in the inspired translation: "But this man, after
he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down
on the right hand of God; from henceforth to • reign
until his enemies be made his footstool."

54 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, through sanctification of the spirit, unto obe-
dience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vain
conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot: who verily was fore-
ordained before the foundation of the world, but was
manifest in these last times for you." — 1 Peter, i, %
18—20.

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the
just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the
Spirit: by which also he went and preached unto the
spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient*
when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days
of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few,
that is, eight souls, were saved by water. The like figure
whereunto, even baptism, doth also now save us, (not
the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the
answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resur-
rection of Jesus Christ: who is gone into heaven, and
is on the right hand of God; angels, and authorities,
and powers, being made subject unto him." — 1 Peter, iii,
18—22.

"This then is the message which we have heard of
him, and declare unto you, that God is light and in
him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have
fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and
do not the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he
is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from
all sin."— 1 John, i, 5—7.

— "And if any man sin, we have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the
propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but
also for the sins of the whole world." — 1 John, ii, 1, 2.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 35

Or as it is written in 'the inspired translation,
" But if any man sin and repent, we have an advo-
cate," etc.

" And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Wit-
ness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the Prince
of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us,
and washed us from our sins in his own blood." —
Rev., i, 5.

"These things, saith the Amen, the faithful and
true Witness, the beginning of the creation of God." —
Rev., iii, 14.

"And when he had taken the book, the four beasts,
and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb,
having every one of them harps, and golden vials full
of odors, which are the prayers of saints. And they
sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the
book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast- slain,
and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and
hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we
shall reign on the earth." — Rev., v, 8 — 10.

Thus it would seem that the redeemed . of the Lord
f:om all nations and peoples are indebted to the Lord
Jesus Christ, through His atonement, for the position
that they will occupy in the state of exaltation here
referred to; and if they are exalted to be kings and
priests unto God, it is through the ordinances which He
has appointed for the accomplishment of this object, as
the wise will understand. As regards the Book men-
tioned in the above passage, an explanation thereof will
be found in the Key to the Revelation of John. — Doc.
and Cov., Sec. lxxvii, page 277. (Latest edition.)

" And it was given unto him [the Dragon] to make
war with the Saints, and to overcome them; and power
was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and
nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall wor-
ship him, whose names are not written in the book of
life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the
world." — Rev., xiii, 7, 8.

36 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

CHAPTER IV.

Extracts from the Pearl of Great Price and Inspired Translation of
Genesis — Record of Moses regarding Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham
and Joseph, and of their faith in the Coming of the Savior.

We shall now introduce some extracts from the
Pearl of Great Price and the Inspired Translation of
the Book of Genesis, which replace some of those parts,
"plain and most precious," which are said to have been
taken from the version of the Holy Scriptures known
as King James' or the authorized version. These ex-
tracts are taken from the revelations and writings of
the Prophet Joseph Smith.

"And God spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, I am
the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for
I am without beginning of days or end of years; and
is not this Endless? And, behold, thou art my son;
wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship
of mine hands, but not all; for my works are without
end, and also my words; for they never cease; where-
fore, no man can behold all my works, except he behold
all my glory; and no man can behold all my glory,
and afterwards remain in the flesh on the earth. And
I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art
in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and my Only
Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of
grace and truth: but there is no God beside me, and
all things are present with me, for I know them all."
— Pearl of Great Price.

"And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam,
which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying,
I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the begin-
ning, henceforth and for ever, that as thou hast fallen
thou mayest be redeemed; and all mankind, even as
many as will." — Ibid.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 37

"But God hath made known unto our fathers that
all men must repent. And he called upon our father
Adam by his own voice, saying, I am God: I made
the world, and men before they were in the flesh. And
he also said unto him, If thou wilt turn unto me, and
hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all
thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in
the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of
grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name
which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation
shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his
name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given
you. And our father Adam spake unto the Lord, and
said, Why is it that men must repent and be baptized
in water? And the Lord said unto Adam, Behold, I have
forgiven thee thy transgression in the Garden of Eden.
Hence came the saying abroad among the people, That
the Son of God hath atoned for original guilt, wherein
the sins of the parents cannot be answered upon the
heads of the children, for they are whole from the
foundation of the world." — Ibid.

f " Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men,
everywhere, must repent, or they can in no wise inherit
the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell
there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of
Adam, Man of Holiness is his name; and the name of
his Only Begotten, is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ,
a righteous Judge who shall come in the meridian of
time. Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to
teach these things freely unto your children, saying, That
by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall
bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the
world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have
made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye
must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of
water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by. blood,
even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might
be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eter-

38 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

nal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to
come, even immortal glory: For by the water ye keep
the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and
by the blood ye are sanctified; therefore it is given to
abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the
peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all
things; that which quicken eth all things, which maketh
alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and
hath all power, according to wisdom, mercy, truth, jus-
tice, and judgment. And now, behold, I say unto you,
This is the plan of salvation unto all men, through
the blood of mine Only Begotten, who shall come in
the meridian of time." — Ibid.

"And he gave unto me [Enoch] a commandment
that I should baptize in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, who is full of grace and truth, and the
Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the Father and
the Son."— Ibid.

"And behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of
the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul
rejoiced, saying, The Righteous is lifted up, and the
Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world; and
through faith I am in the bosom of the Father, and
behold, Zion is with me!" — Ibid.

"And great tribulations shall be among the children
of men, but my people will I preserve; and righteous-
ness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I
send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine
Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and
also the resurrection of all men." — Ibid.

"And it came to pass that Noah continued his
preaching unto the people, saying, Hearken, and give
heed unto my words; believe and repent of your sins,
and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, even as our fathers did, and ye shall receive
the Holy Ghost, that ye may have all things made
manifest; and if ye do not this, the floods will come
in upon you." — Ibid.

"And if thou shalt die, yet thou shalt possess it

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 39

[the land of Canaan], for the day cometh, that the Son
of Man shall live; but how can he live, if he be not
dead? He must first be quickened. And it came to
pass that Abram looked forth and saw the days of the
Son of Man, and was glad, and his soul found rest, and
he believed in the Lord; and the Lord counted it unto
him for righteousness." — Inspired Translation, Gen., xv,
11, 12.

"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a
lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come: and
unto him shall the gathering of the people be." — Gen.,
xlix, 10.

"The Lord hath visited me [Joseph], and I have
obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit
of my loins the Lord will raise up a righteous branch
out of my loins; and unto thee, whom my father Jacob
hath named Israel, a prophet; (not the Messiah who is
called Shiloh;) and this prophet shall deliver my people
out of Egypt in the days of thy bondage. And it shall
come to pass that they shall be scattered again; and a
branch shall be broken off, and shall be carried into a
far country; nevertheless, they shall be remembered in
the covenants of the Lord, when the Messiah cometh;
for he shall be made manifest unto them in the latter
days, in the spirit of power, and shall bring them out
of darkness into light; out of hidden darkness, and out
of captivity unto freedom." — Inspired Translation, Gen.,
1, 24, 25.

40 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

CHAPTER V.

The Book of Mormon and the Atonement — Extracts from the Books
of Ether, Nephi, Mosiah, Alma, Helaman and Mormon.

We next quote from the Book of Mormon, making
our selections in chronological order; first from the Book
of Ether, and afterwards from the records of the
Nephites.

" And when he had said these words, , behold, the
Lord showed himself unto him [the brother of Jared],
and said, Because thou knowest these things, ye are
redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back
into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you.
Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation
of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus
Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all
mankind have light, and that eternally, even they who
shall believe on my name; and they shall become my
sons and my daughters." — Ether, iii, 13, 14.

"And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed
are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose gar-
ments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and
they are they who are numbered among the remnant of
the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel.
And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the
inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been
washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they
who were scattered and gathered in from the four quar-
ters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are
partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God
made with their father Abraham." — Ether, xiii, 10, 11.

"Yea, even six hundred years from the time that
my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God
raise up among the Jews; even a Messiah; or, in other

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 41

words, a Savior of the world. And he also spake con-
cerning the prophets, how great a number had testified
of these things, concerning this Messiah, of whom he had
spoken, or this Redeemer of the world. Wherefore all
mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever
would be, save they should rely on this Redeemer. And
he spake also concerning a prophet who should come
before the Messiah to prepare the way of the Lord;
yea, even he should go forth and cry in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths
straight; for there standeth one among you whom ye
know not; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe's latch et
I am not worthy to unloose. And much spake my
father concerning this thing. And my father said he should
baptize in Bethabary, beyond Jordan; and he also said he
should baptize with water: even that he should baptize
the Messiah with water. And after he had baptized the
Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record,
that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should
take away the sins of the world." — 1 Nephi, x, 4 — 10.

"And it came to pass that the angel spake unto
me again, saying, Look! And I looked and beheld the
Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea,
the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world;
and I saw and bear record. And I, Nephi, saw that
he was lifted up upon the cross, and slain for the sins
of the world."— 1 Nephi, xi, 32, 33.

"He doeth not anything, save it be for the benefit
of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he
layeth down his own life, that he may draw all men
unto him. Wherefore he commandeth none that they
shall not partake of his salvation." — 2 Nephi, xxvi, 24.

"Yea, I know that ye know, that in the body he
shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence
we came; for it is expedient that it should be among
them; for it behoveth the great Creator that he suffereth
himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and
die for all men, that all men might become subject unto
him. For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil

42

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs-
be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must
needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall
came by reason of transgression; and because man be-
came fallen, they were cut off from the presence of the
Lord."— 2 Nephi, ix, 5, 6.

" Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed because
of the righteousness of thy Redeemer; for thou hast be-
held, that in the fulness of time he cometh to bring
salvation unto men. And thou hast beheld in thy youth
his glory; wherefore thou art blessed even as they unto
whom he shall minister in the flesh; for the Spirit is
the same, yesterday, to-day, and forever./ And the way
is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free.
And men are instructed sufficiently, that they know good
from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by
the law, no flesh is justified; or, by the law, men are
cut off. Yea, by the temporal law, they were cut off;
and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that
which is good, and become miserable for ever Where-
fore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Mes-
siah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offer-
eth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of
the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and' a
contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the
law be answered. Wherefore, how great the importance
to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the
earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that
can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through
the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah,
who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and
taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may
bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the
first that should rise. Wherefore he is the first fruits
unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all
the children of men; and they that believe in him
shall be saved. And because of the intercession for all,
all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the
presence of him, to be judged of him according to the

THE MEDIATION AND - ATONEMENT. 43

truth and holiness which is in him. Wherefore, the
ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto
the inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which
punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of
the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of
the atonement; for it must needs be, that there is an
opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the
wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass;
neither wickedness; neither holiness nor misery; neither
good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a
compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body,
it must needs remain as dead, having no life, neither
death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor
misery, neither sense nor insensibility. Wherefore, it
must needs have been created for a thing of naught;
wherefore, there would have been no purpose in the end
of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs des-
troy the wisdom of God, and his eternal purposes; and
also, the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.
And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is
no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also
say there is no righteousness. And if there be no -y
righteousness, there be no happiness. And if there be
no righteousness nor happiness, there be no punishment
nor misery. And if these things are not, there is no
God. And if there is no God, we are not, neither the
earth; for there could have been no creation of things,
neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all
things must have vanished away. And now, my sons,
I speak unto you these things, for your profit and learn-
ing; for there is a ..God*— and he hath-creat ed all thi ngs,
both— the_heav-ens_-an d the earth, and all thi ngs that in
them is; both things, to act, and -things to be acted
upon. ~And to bring about his . eternal_ purposes in the
end~of man, after he had created our first parents, and
the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in
fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that
there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in
opposition to the tree of life: the one being sweet and

44 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

the other bitter; wherefore, the Lord God gave unto
man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man
could not act for himself, save it should be that he was
enticed by the one or the other. And I, Lehi, accord-
ing to the things which I have read, must needs sup-
pose, that an angel of God, according to that which is
written, had fallen from heaven: wherefore, he became
a devil, having sought that which was evil before God.
And because he had fallen from heaven, and had
become miserable for ever, he sought also the misery of
all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even
that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of
all lies; wherefore he said, Partake of the forbidden
fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God,
knowing good and evil. And after Adam and Eve had
partaken of the forbidden fruit, they were driven out of
the garden of Eden, to till the earth. And they have
brought forth children; yea, even the family of all the
earth. And the days of the children of men were pro-
longed, according to the will of God, that they might
repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became
a state of probation, and their time was lengthened,
according to the commandments which the Lord God
gave unto the children of men. For he gave command-
ment that all men must repent; for he shewed unto all
men that they were lost, because of the transgression of
their parents. — 2 Nephi, ii, 3 — 21.

"And now, my brethren, I have spoken plain, that
ye cannot err; and as the Lord God liveth that brought
Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto
Moses power that he should heal the nations, after they
had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would
cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up
before them, and also gave him power that he should
smite the rock, and the water should come forth; yea,
behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and
as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given
under heaven, save it be this Jesus Christ of whom I
have spoken, whereby man can be saved. Wherefore, for

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 45

this cause hath the Lord God promised unto me that these
things which I write, shall be kept and preserved, and
handed down unto my seed, from generation to genera-
tion, that the promise may be fulfilled unto Joseph, that
his seed should never perish as long as the earth should
stand. Wherefore, these things shall go from generation
to generation as long as the earth shall stand; and they
shall go according to the will and pleasure of God; and
the nations who shall possess them shall be judged of them
according to the words which are written; for we labor
diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also
our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled
to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are
saved, 'after all we can do. And notwithstanding we
believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look
forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall
be fulfilled; for, for this end was the law given; where-
fore, the law hath become dead unto us, and we are
made alive in Christ, because of our faith; yet we keep
the law because of the commandments; and we talk of
Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we
prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our pro-
phecies, that our children may know to what source they
may look for a remission of their sins. Wherefore, we
speak concerning the law, that our children may know
the deadness of the law; and they, by knowing the dead-
ness of the law, may look forward unto that life which
is in Christ, and know for what end- the law was given-
And after the law is fulfilled in Christ, that they need
not harden their hearts against him, when the law ought
to be done away." — 2 Nephi, xxv, 20 — 27.

The reference, in the above quotation, to the serpent
which Moses raised up before the children of Israel in
the wilderness, directly confirms the statement ' of our
Savior:

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilder-
ness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
eternal life." — John, iii, 14, 15.

46 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

We now return to our extracts from the Book oif
Mormon. King Benjamin teaches:

"For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant,
that with power, the Lord Omnipotent, who reigneth,
who was and is from all eternity to all eternity,
shall come down from heaven, among the children of
men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, andi
shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles,
such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the
lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the
deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases; and
he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell
in the hearts of the children of men. And lo, he
shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst,
and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be
unto death: for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so
great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the
abominations of his people. And he shall be called
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and
earth, the Creator of all things, from the beginning;
and his mother shall be called Mary. And lo, he
cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto
the children of men, even through faith on his name;
and even after all this, they shall consider him a man,
and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him,
and shall crucify him. And he shall rise the third
day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge
the world; and behold, all these things are done, that
a righteous judgment might come upon the children of
men. For behold, and also his blood atcneth for the
sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of
Adam, who have died, not knowing the will of God
concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned. But
wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against
God; for salvation cometh to none such, except it
be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus
Christ. And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets
among all the children of men, to declare these things
to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby who-

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 47

soever should believe that Christ should come, the same
might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice witn
exceeding great joy, even as though he had already come
among them. Yet the Lord God saw that his people
were a stiffnecked people, and he appointed unto them
a law, even the law of Moses. And many signs, ana
wonders, and types, and shadows shewed he unto them,
concerning his coming; and also holy prophets spake
unto them concerning his coming; and yet they hardened
their hearts, and understood not that the law of Moses
availeth nothing, except it were through the atonement
of his blood. And even if it were possible that little
•children could sin, they could not be saved: but I say
unto you they are blessed; for behold, as in Adam, or
by nature they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth
for their sins. And moreover, I say unto you, that there
shall be no other name given, nor any other way nor
means whereby salvation can come unto the children of
men, only in and through the name of Christ, the
Lord Omnipotent. For behold he judgeth, and his judg-
ment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth
in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own
souls, except they humble themselves and become as
little children, and believe that salvation was, and is,
and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of
Christ, the Lord Omnipotent; for the natural man is
an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam,
and will be, for ever and ever; but if he yields to the
enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural
man, and becometh a saint, through the atonement of
'Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive,
meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit
■to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon
him, even as a child doth submit to his father. • And
moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come
when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread through-
out every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. And
Tbehold, when that time cometh, none shall be found
Iblameless before God, exfcept it be little children only

48 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

through repentance and faith on the name of the Lord
God Omnipotent." — Mosiah, iii, 5 — 21.

"And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin
had made an end of speaking the words which had
been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord,
that he cast his eyes round about on the multitude,
and behold they had fallen to the earth, for the fear
of the Lord had come upon them; and they had
viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less
than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud
with one voice, saying, have mercy, and apply the
atoning blood of Christ, that we may receive forgiveness
of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we
believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created
heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down
among the children of men. And it came to pass that
after they had spoken these words, the Spirit of the
Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy,
having received a remission of their sins, and having
peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which
they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to
the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them.
And king Benjamin again opened his mouth, and began
to speak unto them, saying, My friends and my brethren,
my kindred and my people, I would again call your atten-
tion, that ye may hear and understand the remainder of
my words which I shall speak unto you; for behold, "if the
knowledge of the goodness of God at this time has awakened
you to a sense of your nothingness, and your worthless
and fallen_statej JI say unto you, if ye have come to a
knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless
power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long
suffering towards the children of men, and also, the
atonement which has been prepared from the founda-
tion of the world, that thereby salvation might come to
him that should put his trust in the Lord, and should be
diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the
faith even unto the end of his life; I mean the life of the
mortal body; I say that this is° the man who receiveth

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 49

salvation, through the atonement which was prepared from
the foundation of the world for all mankind, which ever
were ever since the fall of Adam, or who are, or who-
ever shall be, even unto the end of the world; and this
is the means whereby salvation cometh. And there is
none other salvation, save this which hath been spoken
of; neither are there any conditions whereby man can
be saved, except the conditions which I have told you." —
Mosiah, iv, 1—8.

"And now Abinadi said unto them, I would that
ye should understand that God himself shall come down
among the children of men, and shall redeem his peo-
ple; and because he dwelleth in flesh, he shall be
called the Son of God: and having subjected the flesh
to the will of the Father, being the Father and the
Son; the Father, because he was conceived by the
power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh, thus
becoming the Father and Son: And they, are one God,
yea, the very eternal Father of heaven and of earth;
and thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or
the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temp-
tation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth
himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and
disowned by his people. And after all this, after work-
ing many mighty miracles among the children of men,
he shall be led, yea, even as Isaiah said, As a sheep
before the shearer is dumb, so he opened not his
mouth; yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and
slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the
will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the
Father; and thus God break eth the bands of death,
having gained the victory over death; giving the Son
power to make intercession for the children of men:
having ascended into heaven; having the bowels of
mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children
of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having
broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their
iniquity and their transgressions: having redeemed them,
and satisfied the demands of justice." — Mosiah, xv, 1-9.

50

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

"And now it came to pass that after Abinadi had
spoken these words, he stretched forth his hand and
said, The time shall come when all shall see the salva-
tion of the Lord; when every nation, kindred, tongue
and people shall see eye to eye, and shall confess before
God that his judgments are just; and then shall the
wicked be cast out, and they shall have cause to howl,
and weep, and wail, and gnash their teeth; and this
because they would not hearken unto the voice of the
Lord; therefore the Lord redeemeth them not, for they
are carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over
them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our
first parents, which was the cause of their fall: which
was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual,
devilish, knowing evil from good; subjecting themselves
to the devil. Thus all mankind were lost; and behold,
they would have been endlessly lost, were it not that
God redeemed his people from their lost and fallen state.
But remember, that he that persists in his own carnal
nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion
against God, remaineth in his fallen state, and the devil
hath all power over him. Therefore he is as though
there was no redemption made; being an enemy to God;
and also is the devil an enemy of God. And now if
Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things
to come, as though they had already come, there could
have been no redemption. And if Christ had not risen
from the dead, or have broken the bands of death, that
the grave should have no victory, and that death should
have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.
But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no
victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ:
he is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light
that is endless, that can never be darkened: yea, and
also a life which is endless, that there can be no more
death. Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and
this corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be
brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged
of him according to their works, whether they be good

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 51

or whether they be evil. If they be good, to the resur-
rection of endless life and happiness, and if they be
evil, to the resurrection of endless damnation; being deliv-
ered up to the devil, who hath subjected them, which is
damnation; having gone according to their own carnal
wills and desires; having never called upon the Lord
while the arms of mercy were extended towards them;
for the arms of mercy were extended towards them;
and they would not; they being warned of their iniqui-
ties, and yet they would not depart from them;- and
they were commanded to repent, and yet they would not
repent. And now had ye not ought to tremble and repent
of your sins, and remember only in and through Christ
ye can be saved ? Therefore, if ye teach the law of
Moses, also teach that it is a shadow of those things
which are to come; teach them that redemption cometh
through Christ the Lord, who is the very eternal Father.
Amen." — Mosiah, xvi, 1 — 15.

"But behold, the Spirit hath said this much unto
me, saying: Cry unto this people, saying, Repent ye,
and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his
paths, which are straight: for behold, the kingdom of
heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon
the face of the earth. And behold, he shall be born
of Mary, at Jerusalem, which is the land of our fore-
fathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel,
who shall be overshadowed, and conceive by the power
of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even
the Son of God; and he shall go forth, suffering pains
and afflictions, and temptations of every kind; and this
that the word might be fulfilled which saith, He will
take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his peo-
ple; and he will take upon him death, that he may
loose the bands of death which bind his people: and
he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels
may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that
he may know according to the flesh how to succor his
people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit
knoweth all things; nevertheless, the Son of God suffereth

52

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

according to the flesh, that he might take upon him
the sins of his people, that he might blot out their
transgressions, according to the power of his deliverance;
and now behold, this is the testimony which is in
me."— Alma, vii, 9—13.

"Now Zeezrom said unto the people, See that ye
remember these things; for he said there is but one
God; yet he saith that the Son of God shall come, but
he shall not save his people, as though he had author-^
ity to command God. Now Amulek saith again unto
him, Behold, thou hast lied, for thou sayest that I spake
-as though I had authority to command God, because I
said he shall not save his people in their sins. And I
■say unto you again, that he cannot save them in their
;sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said
that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of
heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye
inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot
be saved in your sins. Now Zeezrom saith again unto
him, Is the son of God the very eternal Father? And
Amulek said unto him, Yea, he is the very eternal
Father of heaven and of earth, and all things which
in them is; he is the beginning and the end, the first
and the last; and he shall come into the world to
redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the
transgressions of those who believe on his name; and
these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation
cometh to none else; therefore, the wicked remain as
though there had been no redemption made, except it
be the loosing of the bands of death; for behold, the
day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand
before God, and be judged according to their works.
Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death:
and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this
temporal death, that all shall be raised from this tem-
poral death; the spirit and the body shall be re-united
again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be
restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at
this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God,

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 53

knowing even as we know now, and have a bright
recollection of all our guilt. Now this restoration shall
come to all, both old and young, both bond and free,
both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous;
and even there shall not so much as a hair of
their heads be lost; but all things shall be restored to
its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and
shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of
Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy
Spirit, which is one eternal God, to be judged accord-
ing to their works, whether they be good or whether
they be evil." — Alma, xi, 35 — 44.

•"Now I say unto you, that ye must repent, and be
born again: for the Spirit saith, If ye are not born
again, ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; there-
fore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may
be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world,
who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all un-
righteousness." — Alma, vii, 14.

"And the angel said unto me, Look ! And I looked,
and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness;
and their garments were white, even like unto the Lamb
of God. And the angel said unto me, These are made
white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith
in him." — 1 Nephi, xii, 11.

"Therefore they were called ,after this holy order, and
were sanctified, and their garments were washed white
through the blood of -the Lamb." — Alma, xiii, 11.

"And this I know, because the Lord hath said,
He dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts
of the righteous doth he dwell; yea, and he has also
said, That the righteous shall sit down in his kingdom,
to go no more out: but their garments should be
made white, through the blood of the Lamb." —Alma,
xxxiv, 36.

"0 then, ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry
mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that
perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair and white,

54 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that
great and last day." — Mormon, ix, 6.

"Behold, I give unto you a sign; for five years more
cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to
redeem all those who shall believe on his name." — Hela-
man, xiv, 2.

"For behold, he must surely die, that salvation may
come; yea, it behoveth him, and becometh expedient that
he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead,,
that thereby men may be brought into the presence of
the Lord; yea, behold this death bringeth to pass the
resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first
death — that spiritual death; for all mankind by the fall
of Adam, being cut off from the presence of the Lord,
are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and
things spiritual. But behold, the resurrection of Christ
redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth
them back into the presence of the Lord." — Helaman,
xiv, 15—17.

"Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust
your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the
print of the nails in my hands, and in my feet, that ye
may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of
the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the
world."— 3 Nephi, xi, 14.

"Behold, he created Adam, and • by Adam came the
fall of man. And because of the fall of man, came Jesus
Christ, even the Father and the Son; and because of
Jesus Christ came the redemption *of man. And because
of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ*
they are brought back into the presence of the Lord;
yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed, because the
death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, which
bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep,
from which sleep all men shall be awoke by the power
of God when the trump shall sound; and they shall
come forth, both small and great, and all shall stand
before his bar, being redeemed and loosed from this eter-
nal band of death, which death is a temporal death; ami

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 55

then cometh the judgment of the Holy One upon them,
and then cometh the time that he that is filthy shall
be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous
still; he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that
is unhappy shall be unhappy still. — Mormon, ix, 12 — 14.

><

CHAPTER VI.

Extracts from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants — Christ's Testimony
of Himself, of His Power and Calling, etc. — Testimony of Joseph
Smith and Sidney Rigdon— -Record of John the Baptist— Extract
from a Sermon by President Brigham Young.

We now turn to the Book of Doctrine and Cove-
nants:

"Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am
the same that came unto my own, and my own received
me not. I am the light which shineth in darkness, and
the darkness comprehendeth it not." — Sec. vi, 21, p. 91.

"Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of the living
God, who created the heavens and the earth; a light
which cannot be hid in darkness.^ — Sec. xiv, 9. p. 109.

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight
of God; for, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered
death in the flesh; wherefore, he suffered the pain of
all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.
And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might
bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance."
Sec. xviii, 10—12, p. 114.

"I am Alpha and Omega, Christ the Lo rd^-yea^ even
1 arn~ He, thlPbligTnnlng and the end, the ~~T^edeemer_of
the world. I, having ' accomplisheor _ and fmishedlhe will
of him whose I am, even the Father, concerning me —

56 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMEiNT.

having done this that I might subdue all things unto
myself."— Sec. xix, 1, 2, p. 117.

"I am Jesus Christ; I came by the will of the
Father, and I do his will." — Sec. xix, 24, p. 119.

"For, behold, I will bless all those who labor in my
vineyard with a mighty blessing, and they shall believe
on his words, which are given him through me by the
Comforter, which manifesteth that Jesus was crucified by
sinful men for the sins of the world, yea, for the re-
mission of sins unto the contrite heart." — Sec. xxi, 9, p.
131.

"Listen^to^the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer,
the great jl AM,j whose arm of mercy hath atoned for
your sins. —-Sec. xxix, 1, p. 142.

"Be faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you.
These words are not of man, nor of men, but of me,
even Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, by the will of the
Father. Amen." — Sec. xxxi, 13, p. 151.

"My son Orson, hearken and hear and behold what
I, the Lord God, shall say unto you, even Jesus Christ
your Redeemer; the light and the life of the world; a
light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness com-
prehendeth it not; who so loved the world that he gave
his own life, that as many as would believe might be-
come the sons of God: wherefore you are my son." —
Sec. xxxiv, 1 — 3, pp. 153-4.

"Listen to the voice of the Lord your God, even
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, whose
course is one eternal round, the same to-day as yesterday,
and forever. I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who
was crucified for the sins of the world, even as many as
will believe on my name, that they may become the
sons of God, even one in me as I am in the Father,
as the Father is one in me, that we may be one." —
Sec. xxxv, 1, 2, p. 155.

"Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ,
the great I AM, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and
the end, the same which looked upon the wide expanse
of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven, before

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 57

the world was made: the same which knoweth all
things, for all things are present before mine eyes: I
am the same which spake, and the world was made,
and all things came by me: I am the same which
have taken the Zion of Enoch into mine own bosom;
and verily, I say, even as many as have believed in
my name, for I am Christ, and in mine own name,
by the virtue of the blood which I have spilt, have I
pleaded before the Father for them; but behold, the
residue of the wicked have I kept in chains of dark-
ness until the judgment of the great day; which shall
come at the end of the earth." — Sec. xxxviii, 1 — 5,
pp. 159, 160.

"Hearken and listen to the voice of him who is
from all eternity to all eternity, the great I AM, even
Jesus Christ, the light and the life of the world; a light
which shineth in darkness and the darkness compre-
hendeth it not: the same which came in the meridian
of time unto my own. and my own received me not." —
Sec. xxxix, 1 — 3, p. 164.

Listen to him who is the Advocate with the Father f
who is pleading your cause before him, saying, Father,
behold the sufferings and death of him who did no
sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood
of thy Son which was shed — the blood of him whom thou
gavest that thyself might be glorified; wherefore, Father,
spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that
they may come unto me and have everlasting life." —
Sec. xlv, 3—5, p. 183.

"To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was
crucified for the sins of the world; to others it is given
to believe on their words, that they also might have
eternal life if they continue faithful." — Sec. xlvi, 13, 14,
p. 192.

"Hear O ye heavens, and give _ea£—Q — p.arfh ) an^
rejoice ve inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is Oorl^m-irl
hesirle him there is no Savior: Great_is_bis_^wisdo m, an d
marvellous nr* hi s ways, and t he _extent_ of his d oings

58

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

none^can find out; his purposes fail not, neither are
there any who can stay his hand; from, _eternity_J;o
eternity he is the same, and his years never fail." —
Sec. lxxvi, 1—4, p. 265. -

"By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened
and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see
and understand the things of God — even those things
which were from the beginning before the world was,
which were ordained of the Father, through his Only
Begotten Son, 'who was in the bosom of the Father,
even from the beginning, of whom we bear record, and
the record which we bear is the fulness of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, who is the Son, whom we saw and
with whom we conversed in heavenly vision." — Sec. lxxvi,
12—14, p. 266.

"And while we meditated upon ihese things, the
Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they
were opened, -and the glory of the Lord shone round
about; and we beheld the glory of the Son, on the
right hand of the Father, and received of his fulness;
and saw the holy angels and they who are sanctified
before his throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb, who
worship him for ever and ever. And now, after the
many testimonies which have been given of him, this
is the testimony last* of all, which we give of him,
that he lives; for we saw him, even on the right hand
of God, and we heard the voice bearing record that he
is the Only Begotten of the Father — that by him and
through him, and of him the worlds are and were
created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten
sons and daughters unto God." — Sec. lxxvi, 19 — 24,
p. 266, 267.

"That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be
crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the
world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it
from all unrighteousness; that through him all might
be saved whom the Father had put into his power and
made by him, who glorifies the Father, and saves all
the works of his hands, except those sons of perdition,

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 59

who deny the Son after the Father has revealed him." —
Sec. lxxvi, 41 — 43, p. 268-9.

"These are they whose names are written in heaven,
where God and Christ are the judge of all. These are
they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the
mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this
perfect atonement through the shedding of his own
blood."— Sec. lxxvi, 68, 69, p. 271.

"Verily, thus saith the Lord, it shall come to pass
that every soul who forsaketh their sins and cometh unto
me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and
keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know
that I am, and that I am the true light that lighteth
every man that cometh into the world; and that I am
in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father
.and I are one: the Father because he gave me of his
fulness, and the Son because I was in the world and
made flesh my tabernacle, and dwelt among the sons of
men. I .was in the world and received of my Father,
and the works of him were plainly manifest; and John
saw and bore record of the fulness of my glory, and
the fulness of John's record is hereafter to be revealed.
* * And I, John, saw that he received

not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for
grace: and he received not of the fulness at first, but
continued from grace to grace, until he received a ful-
ness; and thus he was called the Son of God, because
he received not of the fulness at the first. And I, John,
bear record, and lo, the heavens were opened, and the
Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove,
and sat upon him, and there came a voice out of
heaven saying, This is my beloved Son. And I, John,
bear record that he received a fulness of the glory of
the Father; and he received all power, both in heaven
and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him,
for he dwelt in him."— Sec. xciii, 1—6, 12—17, pp. 328-9.

"But, behold, I say unto you, that little children are
redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine
Only Begotten." — Sec. xxix, 46, p. 147.

60 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

"Every spirit of man was innocent in the begin-
ning, and God having redeemed man from the fall, men
became again in their infant state, innocent before God."
Sec. xciii, 38, p. 331.

"And then shall the Lord set his foot upon this
mount, and it shall cleave in twain, and the earth
shall tremble and reel to and fro, and the heavens
also shall shake, and the Lord shall utter his voice,
and all the ends of the earth shall hear it; and the
nations of the earth shall mourn, and they that have
laughed shall see their folly, and calamity shall cover
the mocker, and the scorner shall be consumed, and
they that have watched for iniquity shall be hewn
down and cast into the fire. And then shall
the Jews look upon me and say, What are these
wounds in thine hands and in thy feet? Then shall
they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto
them, These wounds are the wounds with which I was
wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who
was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am
the Son of God. And then shall they weep because of
their iniquities; then shall they lament because they
persecuted their King. And then shall the heathen
nations be redeemed, and they that knew no law shah
have part in the first resurrection; and it shall be
tolerable for them; and Satan shall be bound that he
shall have no place in the hearts of the children oi
men."— Sec. . xlv, 48—55, p. 187-8.

From a discourse by President Brigham Young, August
8, 1852:

"Christ is the Author of this Gospel, of this earth
of men and women, of all the posterity of Adam and
Eve, and of every living creature that lives upon the
face of the earth, that flies in the heavens, that swims
in the waters, or dwells in the field. Christ is the Author
of salvation to all this creation, to all things pertaining
to this terrestrial globe we occupy."

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 61

CHAPTER VII.

Introduction to the Historical Portion of this Treatise— The Dealings of
God with Adam, Cain and Abel— The Institution of Sacrifice—
Tne Symbolism of this Rite— The Words of the Angel to Adam-
Lucifer— His Rebellion in Heaven— His Conflict with Michael for
the Body of Moses— He tempts Christ — He is cast into a Lake of
Fire and Brimstone.

Having thus gathered in one numerous testimonies
from the writings of the ancient inspired servants of
God who dwelt on either hemisphere, and joined there-
with extracts from the revelations of the present dispen-
sation, with regard to the fore-ordination, mission, life-
work and death of the' Only Begotten Son, we shall now
proceed to trace, from the sacred volumes, the revelation
of our Savior, and the prophecy of his advent from the
earliest ages of recorded history, until He fulfilled in
Himself all, even all that, as offering, sacrifice, sacrament,
vision or prophetic word, had foreshadowed His appearing,
or typified the mystery of His all-atoning blood.

"We shall commence this portion of our subject by
showing that sacrifices have been offered from the very
earliest times, and that when performed under divine
instruction, they prefigured and typified the sacrifice of
the Son of God, and that it was with this view these
sacrifices were offered up.

It is recorded in the fourth chapter of the Book
of Genesis that,

"Adam knew Eve, his wife; and she conceived, and
bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the
Lord. And she again bare his brother Abel: and Abel
was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the
ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that
Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering
unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the first-
ings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the Lord

62 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

had respect unto Abel, and to his offering: but unto
Cain, and to his offering, he had not respect." — Genesis,
iv, 1—5.

As these sayings found in King James' transla-
tion of the Bible are very limited, and somewhat
obscure, we will here refer, as a starting point on this
subject, to the account given of these events in the Pearl
of Great Price, which is a selection from the revelations,
translations and narrations of Joseph Smith, the Prophet,
Seer and Revelator of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints. For in that translation it is stated that
Adam, previous to these acts of Abel and Cain, offered
up a sacrifice by the direct command of God. It is
there written that the Lord gave unto Adam and Eve
"commandments, that they should worship the Lord their
God; and should offer the firstlings of their flocks for an
offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto
the commandments of the Lord. And after many days,
an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying, Why
dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam
said unto him, I know not, save the Lord commanded
me. And then the angel spake, saying, This thing is a
similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the
Father, which is full of grace and truth; wherefore thou
shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son.
And thou shalt repent, and call upon God, in the name
of the Son, for evermore." We are further informed that
"Adam and Eve blessed the name of God; and they
made all things known unto their sons and their
daughters."

From the above it would seem that Adam, until
instructed by the angel, did not know the reasons for
the offering up of sacrifices, nor the object that the Lord
had in view in requiring this offering at his hands; for,
being asked by the angel why he performed this rite, he
said, "I know not, save the Lord commanded me;" and
the object of the visit of this holy being to Adam evi-
dently was to show him why he was called to offer a
sacrifice to the Lord, as, on Adam expressing his

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 63

ignorance of the intent of this offering, the angel stated
very explicitly that this thing was "a similitude of the
sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father." We have
here given a reason why Adam offered up this sacrifice.
We may hereafter explain why it was necessary that the
sacrifice of the Son of God should be made.

These sacrifices, which were similitudes of the sacri-
fice of the Only Begotten, were continued from that time
until, as is stated in the Scriptures, Jesus came to offer
"his own body once for all."— Heb., x, 10.

We will now return to the sacrifices offered by Cam
and Abel, and give the statement in relation thereto
contained in the Pearl of Great Price. It is as follows
"And Cain loved Satan more than God. And batan
commanded him, saying, Make an offering unto the
Lord. And in process, of time it came to pass that
Cain brought of the fruits of the ground an offering
unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought, of he
firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof; and the
Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering; but
unto Cain, and to his offering, He had not respect.
Now Satan knew this, and it pleased him And Cam
was very wroth and his countenance fell. And the Lord
lid unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? Why is thy
countenance fallen? If thou doest well, thou sha It be
accented and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the
door and Satan desireth to have thee, and except hou
shal hearken unto my commandments, I will deliver
thee up and it shall be unto thee according to h s
desire and thou shalt rule over him, for from this
ST'foSf thou shalt be the father of his lie. Thou
shalt be called Perdition, for thou wast also before the
world and it shall be said in time to come, that these
rbominations were had from Cain, for he rejected the
Greater counsel, which was had from God; and this is
a cursing which I will put upon thee, except thou
repent And Cain was wroth, and listened not any more
to the voice of the Lord, neither to Abel his brother,
wh o walked in holiness before the Lord."

o4 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

From the above it would appear that Satan, or
Lucifer, was "also before the world," and that the term
"also" refers to another personage, and that personage was
the Messiah, the Christ, the Well Beloved Son, who, we
are told, was the Lamb slain from before the foundation
of the world; and it is obvious that Lucifer, who is
elsewhere called the Son of the Morning, had an impor-
tant role to play upon the earth as well as the Messiah,,
and that he occupied a very prominent position before
the world was, and still occupies that position in oppo-
sition to his Heavenly Father, to the Son of God, and
to the interests of humanity; which opposition will con-
tinue, we are informed, until he shall not only be bound,
but cast into the bottomless pit; as stated by the Apostle
John in tho Book of Revelations:

" And I saw an angel come down from heaven,
having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain
in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old
serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him
a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit,
and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he
should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand
years should be fulfilled; and after that he must be
loosed a little season." — Rev., xx, 1 — 3.

And a little further on we read that after the
thousand years have passed, "Satan shall be loosed out
ol his prison," and shall go out to deceive the nations
and gather them to battle against the Saints, when fire
from heaven will devour them.

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into
the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the
false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night
for ever and ever." — Rev., xx, 10.

The operations of Satan in opposition to the designs
and purposes of God are frequently noticed in Holy
Writ. Reference has already been made to his control
over Cain and the results thereof, and unfortunately foi
them, Cain was not the only one in that early age of
the world's history over whom Satan gained the mast.pi">-

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 65

For he went abroad amongst the inhabitants of the
earth, saying, "I am also a son of God; * * *
and they loved Satan more than God. And men began,
from that time forth, to be carnal, sensual, and devilish."
And so they continued increasing in wickedness, until
"all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth," and
the waters of the flood had to accomplish the work which,
the preaching of Noah could not effect

In later years we hear of Satan contending with the
archangel, Michael, for the body of Moses. Jude writes:
"Yet Michael, the archangel, when contending with the
aevil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not
bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The
Lord rebuke thee."

This is again exhibited in the part he took in
tempting the Savior, .after His baptism and recogni-
tion by His Heavenly Father. Of this event it is
written:

"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wil-
derness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had
fasted forty days and forty nights, he was , afterward an
hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said,
If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones
be made bread. But he answered and said, It is writ-
ten, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then
the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth
him on a pinnacle of the temple. And saith unto him,
If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is
written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee,
and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any
time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto
hiii:, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord
thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an
exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the
kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and
saith unto him, All these things will I give thee if
thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus
unto him. Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written. Thou

6

6(3 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

slialt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt
thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him; and behold,
angels came and ministered unto him." — Matt., iv, 1 — 11.

Or to give the words of the inspired translation:
"Then Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilder-
ness, to be with God. And when he had fasted forty
days and forty nights, and had communed with God, he
was afterwards an hungered, and was left to be tempted
of the devil. And when the tempter came to him, he
said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these
stones be made bread. But Jesus answered and said, It
is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

"Then Jesus was taken up into the holy city, and
the Spirit setteth him on the pinnacle of the temple.
Then the devil came unto him and said, If thou be
the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He
shall give his angel's charge concerning thee, and in
their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time
thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto
him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord
thy God."

" And again, Jesus was in the Spirit, and it taketh
him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed
him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of
them. And the devil came unto him again, and said,
All these things will I give unto thee, if thou wilt fall
down and worship me. Then said Jesus unto him, Get
thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship
the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Then the devil leaveth him."

Again, John in the Revelations, when referring to
the latter days, exclaims, "Wo to the inhabitants of the
earth, and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto
you, having great wrath, because he knoweth he hath
but a short time." [Rev., xii, 12.] And by and by the
same writer tells us, in a passage already quoted, that
Satan's time is finished, and he is bound and cast into
the bottomless pit.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 67

CHAPTER VIII.

Seth— His Sacrifice Accepted— Rebellion in the Heavens — The Gathering
of the Patriarchs in the Valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman — Sacrifices
Offered There.

The next eminent personage that appears is Seth.
Concerning him, it is said in the Old Testament:

"And Adam knew his wife again, and she bare a
son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath
appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain
slew." — Gen., iv, 25.

There is a principle developed here pertaining to the
economy of God with the human family. Abel held a
representative position, as also did Cain, and that posi-
tion, it would seem, associated Abel with what may
be denominated the chosen seed. Cain slew Abel; but
that the purposes relating to the perpetuation of that
seed might stand, and the plan of God not be frus-
trated by the adversary, He gave to Adam Seth, who
inherited the priesthood and promises of his martyred
brother; in this substantiating a principle that Paul
refers to, when he writes, "That the purpose of God,
according to election, might stand, not of works, but of
him that calleth." [Rom., ix, 11.] Yet, although Seth
was one of the leading characters spoken of in the
Scripture, and one to whom and through whom the
promises were made, and who actually stood in the
place of or represented his brother, Abel, yet there is
nothing said in the ordinary translation pertaining to
his offering sacrifices; we therefore again refer to the
Pearl of Great Price. It is there stated that "Adam
glorified the name of God, for he said, God hath
appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain
slew." And God revealed himself unto Seth, and he
rebelled not, but offered an acceptable sacrifice like unto
his brother Abel."

68 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

Seth, we are here told, rebelled not, but offered an
acceptable sacrifice, thus carrying out the same idea of
the atonement of the Only Begotten. In this connection
we must remember that there had been a rebellion in
heaven, and many of the angels, they "which kept not
their first estate," [Jude, 6,] were cast out. Lucifer was
the leader of these rebellious ones who were then cast
down to the earth. He had rebelled against God, his
Father, and it would seem, from revelations that we
shall hereafter draw attention to, that his rebellion had
its origin in his rejection of the counsel given to him
by his Father pertaining to the salvation and exaltation
of mankind. When man was placed upon the earth,
Lucifer, or Satan, still manifested the same animus and
spirit; and through his influence he operated upon Cain,
for Cain listened to his wiles, and being controlled by
him, he also rebelled against his father and his God.
Thus the rebellion in the heavens was transmitted to a
rebellion on the earth, and all who became subject to
this influence placed themselves in a state of enmity
and antagonism to God, and one of the first results
exhibited was covetousness and murder, even the murder
by Cain of his brother Abel. Thus we find the first
man slain (Abel) was one holding the holy Priesthood,
and the same vindictive spirit manifested against the
servants of God of all later ages, gave the martyr
Stephen good reason to ask his persecutors,

"Which of the prophets have not your fathers per-
secuted? and they havs slain them which showed before
of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been
now the betrayers and murderers." — Acts, vii, 52.

Although there is nothing said in the Book of
Genesis in relation to sacrifices offered up by Enos, who
was the son of Seth, nor by his descendants, Canaan,
Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch and Methuselah, all of whom
held the High Priesthood, and were consequently pro-
phets of the Lord, yet it is quite reasonable to suppose
that they, being of the promised seed through whom
the Messiah was to come, did offer up sacrifices as com-

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 69

memorative of that great promised event. Further, in
relation to this subject, we are informed in the Book
of Doctrine and Covenants [Section 107, par. 53 — 57,
p. 389,] that "three years previous to the death of
Adam, he called Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared-
Enoch and Methuselah [the persons mentioned above,]
who were all High Priests, with the residue of his pos,
terity who were righteous, into the valley of Adain-
ondi-Ahman, and there bestowed upon them his last
blessing. And the Lord appeared unto them, and they
rose up and blessed Adam, and called him Michael, the
Prince, the Archangel. And the Lord administered com-
fort unto Adam, and 'said unto him, I have set thee to
be at the head — a multitude of nations shall come of
thee, and thou art a prince over them for ever. And
Adam stood up in the • midst of the congregation, and
notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, being full
of the Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall
his posterity unto the latest generation. These things
were all written in the Book of Enoch, and are to be
testified of in due time."

Although, in the above, there is nothing directly
said about the offering of sacrifices, yet, as this was a
usual ceremony, and it belonged to the Priesthood and
to the promised seed to offer sacrifices, it would be rea-
sonable to suppose that Adam did then and there offi-
ciate in that rite; indeed, it was stated by the Prophet
Joseph Smith, in our hearing, while standing on an
elevated piece of ground or plateau near Adam-ondi-
Ahman* (Davis Co., Missouri,), where there were a
number of rocks piled together, that the valley before
us was the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman; or in other
words, the valley where God talked with Adam, and

•"Revelation to Joseph, the Seer, given near Wight's Ferry, at a
place called Spring Hill, Davis County, Missouri, May 19th, 1838, wherein
Spring Hill is named by the Lord, Adam-ondi-Ahman, Because, said
he, it is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people, or the
Ancient of days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the Prophet."— Doc.
and Cov. Sec. 116, p. 415.

70 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

where he gathered his righteous posterity, as recorded m
the above revelation, and that this pile of stones was
an altar built by him when he offered up sacrifices, as
we understand, on that occasion. If Adam then offered
up sacrifices in the presence of these prominent men,
he being the President of these High Priests, he would
officiate for them as well as for himself; while it is
quite reasonable to believe that they assisted in the
offerings made upon that altar. Regarding this the
Saints sing:

This earth was once a garden place,

With all her glories common,
And men did live a holy race,
And worship Jesus face to face,

In Adam-ondi-Ahman.

We read that Enoch walk'd with God,

Above the power of mammon,
While Zion spread herself abroad,
And Saints and angels sung aloud,

In Adam-ondi-Ahman.

Her land was good and greatly blest,

Beyond old Israel's Canaan;
Her fame was known from east to west,
Her peace was great, and pure the rest
Of Adam-ondi-Ahman.

Hosannah to such days to come —

The Savior's second coming,
When all the earth in glorious bloom,
Affords the Saints a holy home,

Like Adam-ondi-Ahman.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 71

CHAPTER IX.

Enoch, his Life and Translation— References to Him by Paul and Jude—
Copious Extracts from His Prophecy— The Prophet Joseph Smith
on Enoch and the Doctrine of Translation— The Office of Trans-
lated Saints— Enoch's Future Work— Translation and Resurrection-
Christ the Creator— Summary of the Results of Enoch's Faith in
the Saving Blood of Christ.

We next come to Enoch, who presents a very-
important figure among the antediluvians, and of whom
there are some very marvelous things related. The Bible
record of him is as follows:

" And Jared lived ,an hundred, sixty and two years,
and he begat Enoch. * * * And

Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:
and Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah
three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters; and
all the days of Enoch were three hundred, sixty and
five years; and Enoch walked with God, and he was
not; for God took him."— Gen., v, 18, 21—24.

This is certainly a very meagre history of so great
a personage, and to supply the deficiency we must have
recourse to other testimonies: one important fact, how-
ever, is here stated, that "he walked with God:" another
is, that "God took him." There was evidently a book
written by this Patriarch, which is called the Book of
Enoch, for Jude says:

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophe-
sied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten
thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all,
and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all
their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed,
and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners
have spoken against him." — Jude, i, 14, 15.

From the above it would seem that not only had
Enoch written a book, but that Jude had access to it;

72 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

or if not had had a communication or revelation from
Enoch, as referred to by Joseph Smith, hereafter, for we
discover that he had a knowledge of the Son of God,
the Messiah. It is true, the Only Begotten, as He is
spoken of elsewhere, is not here mentioned, but only
the Lord is referred to; yet the circumstances connected
therewith are indicative of it being that personage; for
Paul expresses the same sentiment in regard to the
second coming of the Messiah, and says:

"And to you, who are troubled,- rest with us, when
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his
mighty angels, in naming fire taking vengeance on them
that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord,
and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to
be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them
that believe (because our testimony among you was
believed) in that day."— 2 Thes., i, 7—10.

Moreover, Jesus Himself makes the following re-
marks concerning the same subject:

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory,
and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit
upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be
gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one
from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from
the goats." — Matt., xxv, 31, 32.

Thus showing that it was the same personage that
was referred to by Enoch.

Paul, in his epistle to the Hebrews, writes:

"By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not
see death; and was not found, because God had trans-
lated him; for before his translation he had this testi-
mony, that he pleased God." — Heb., xi, 5.

These declarations are very strongly corroborated by
the following extracts from a revelation given to the
Prophet Joseph Smith, relating to the prophecy of Enoch,
and published in the Pearl of Great Price:

"And from that time forth Enoch began to pro-

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 73

phesy, saying unto the people, That, as I was journey-
ing, and stood in the place Mahujah, and cried unto
the Lord, there came a voice out of heaven, saying,
Turn ye, and get ye upon the Mount Simeon. And it
came to pass that I turned and went up on the mount;
and as I stood upon the mount, I beheld the heavens
open, and I was clothed upon with glory, and I saw
the Lord; and he stood before my face, and he talked
with me, even as a man talketh one with another, face
to face; and he said unto me, Look, and I will show
unto thee the world for the space of many generations.
* * And the Lord said unto me, Go

forth to this people and say unto them, Repent, lest I
come out and smite them with a curse, and they die.
And he gave unto me a commandment that I should
baptize in the name pf the Father, and of the Son,
who is full of grace and truth, and the Holy Ghost,
which beareth record of the Father and the Son. And
it came to pass that Enoch continued to call upon all
the people, save it were the people of Cainan, to repent;
and so great was the faith of Enoch, that he led the
people of God, and their enemies came to battle against
them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the
earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according
to his command; and the rivers of water were turned
out of their course; and the roar of the lions was
heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared
greatly. * * * And there went forth

a curse upon all the people who fought against God;
and from that time forth there were wars and bloodshed
among them; but the Lord came and dwelt with his
people, and they dwelt in righteousness. And the fear
of the Lord was upon all nations, so great was the
glory of the Lord, which was upon his people. * * *
And it came to pass that Enoch talked with the Lord;
and he said unto the Lord, Surely, Zion shall dwell in
safety for ever. But the Lord said unto Enoch, Zion
have I blessed, but the residue of the people have I
cursed. And it came to pass that the Lord showed

74 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

unto Enoch all the inhabitants of the earth; and he
beheld, and lo, Zion, in process of time, was taken up
into heaven! And the Lord said unto Enoch, Behold
mine abode for ever."

The Prophet Joseph Smith, when speaking of Enoch
and his people and the doctrine of translation, said;

"If Cain had fulfilled the law of righteousness as
did Enoch, he would have walked with God all the
days of his life, and never failed of a blessing. Gen.,
v, 22: 'And Enoch walked with God after he begat
Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and
daughters; and all the days of Enoch were three hun-
dred and sixty-five years; and Enoch walked with God
and he was not, for God took him.' Now this Enoch
God reserved unto Himself, that he should not die at
that time, and appointed unto him a ministry unto ter-
restrial bodies, of whom there has been but little
revealed. He is reserved also unto the Presidency of a
dispensation, and more shall be said of him and terres-
trial bodies in another treatise. He is a ministering
angel, to minister to those who shall be heirs of salva-
tion, and appeared unto Jude as Abel did unto Paul:
therefore Jude spoke of him, 14th and 15th verses:
'And Enoch, the seventh from Adam, revealed these
sayings: Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of
his Saints.'

" Paul was also acquainted with this character, and
received instructions from him: Heb., xi, 5: 'By faith
Enoch was translated, that he should not see death, and
was not found, because God had translated him; for
before his translation he had this testimony, that he
pleased God; but without faith it is impossible to please
him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a revealer to those who diligently seek
him.'

"Now the doctrine of translation is a power which
belongs to this Priesthood. There are many things which
belong to the powers of the Priesthood and the keys
thereof, that have been kept hid from before the foun-

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 75

dation of the world; they are hid from the wise and
prudent^ to be revealed in the last times.

T Many may have supposed that the doctrine of
translation was a doctrine whereby men were taken
immediately into the presence of God, and into an eter-
nal fulness, but this is a mistaken idea. Their -place_oi
iiabrtation — is— 4hat — of— the— terrestrial — ord er, a nd — a— place
prepar ed for su ch, characters He__held in r eserve to be
ministering an gels unio_manX-jpianets, ^niL_wJta Jas__yet
ha^g^npt^j^tftretT^in^ who

ar^_j_esurrecteji_fron] th^dead.Jl See Heb., xi, part of

35th verse, 'Others were tortured, not accepting deliver-
ance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.'

" Now it is evident that there was a better resur-
rection, or else God would not have revealed it unto
Paul. Wherein then can it be said a better resurrection?
This distinction is made between the doctrine of the
actual resurrection and translation: translation obtains
deliverance from the tortures and sufferings of the body,
but their existence will prolong as to the labors and
toils of the ministry, before they can enter into so great
a rest and glory.

" On the other hand, those who were tortured, not
accepting deliverance, received an immediate rest from
their labors. See Revelations, xiv, 13: 'And I heard a
voice from heaven, saying, Blessed are the dead who
die .in the Lord, for from henceforth they do rest from
their labors and their works do follow them.'

"They rest from their labors for a long time, and

yet their work is held in reserve for them, that they

are permitted to do the same works after they receive

a resurrection for their bodies." — History ..of Joseph

J jmith, De ser et News, Vol. IV T N o^ga

" He [President Joseph Smith] explained the difference
between an angel and a ministering spirit; the one a
resurrected or translated body, with its spirit, ministering
to embodied spirits ; the other a disembodied spirit,
visiting or ministering to disembodied spirits. Jesus
Christ became a ministering spirit (while his body was

76 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

lying in the sepulchre) to the spirits in prison, to fulfil
an important part of his mission, without which he could
not have perfected his work, nor entered into his rest.
After his resurrection he appeared as an angel to his
disciples, &c. Translated bodies cannot enter into rest
until they have undergone a change equivalent to death.
Translated bodies are designed for future missions.

"The angel that appeared to John on the Isle of
Patmos was a translated or resurrected body. Jesus
Christ went in body, after his resurrection, to minister
to translated and resurrected bodies. There has been a
chain of authority and power from Adam down to the
present time." — History of Joseph Smith, Deseret News,
Vol. V, No. 11.

Jt — would — appear — that the_^anslated__rj^idents of

V Enoch's city are under the direction of Jesus, who is
the Creator of worlds; and that, .He, holding the keys

of the governme nt o f other worlds, could, in His

administrations to them, select the translated people of
Enoch's Zion, if He thought proper, to perform a mis-
sion to these— various -planets, and as death had*--«ot
passed upon them, they could be prepared by Him
and made use of through the medium of the Holy
Priesthood to act as ambassadors, „teacher_s, or messengers
to -those worlds— over—which Jesus holds the authority.
We read in the Times and Seasons: .

"Truly Jesus Christ created the worlds, and is Lord
of Lords, and, as the Psalmist said, 'judges among the
Gods.' Then Moses might have said with propriety, he
is the 'living God,' and Christ, speaking of the flesh,
could say, I am the Son of Man; and Peter, enlightened
by the Holy Ghost, Thou art the Son of the living
God, meaning our Father in Heaven, and who, with
Jesus Christ His first begotten Son, and the Holy Ghost,
are— one— in — pojyj3r,_one — in—dominion,., and one- in glory,
constituting— the— First— Presidency- of -this— sy stem and this
eternity. But they are as much three distinct persons
as the sun, moon and earth are three different bodies.
"And again, the 'twelve kingdoms,' which are under

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 77

the above-mentioned Presidency of the Father, Son and
Holy Ghost, are governed by the same rules, and des-
tined to the same honor. [Book Doc. and Cov., page
135, par. 13.*] For, 'Behold, I will liken these kingdoms
unto a man having a field, and he sent forth his ser-
vants into the field, to dig in the field; and he said
unto the first, Go ye and labor in the field, and in the
first hour I will come unto you, and ye shall behold
the joy of my countenance: and he said unto the sec-
ond, Go ye also into the field, and in the second hour
I will visit you with the joy of my countenance; and
also__unto__jthe__th ird, say ing, I will visit you; and unto
the fourth, and so on unto the twelfth?""

It is further stated m this sectionr^^Therefore, unto
this parable will I liken all these kingdoms, and the
inhabitants thereof; every kingdom in its hour, and in
its time, and in its season; even according to the decree
which God ' hath made." — Verse 61.

That is, each kingdom, or planet, and _ the inhabi-
tants thereof,_were blessed with _the_ visits jmd presence
of_their Creator^ in _their_jseveral times and seasons.

It is recorded that to Jesus has been given all
power in heaven and in earth, and from the foregoing
quotations He evidently had power which He used to
commission the citizens of the Zion of Enoch to go to
other worlds on missions. In an extract from the teach-
ings of the Prophet Joseph (elsewhere inserted) it is
written :

"Elijah was the last prophet that held the keys of
this Priesthood, and who will, before the last dispensa-
tion, restore the authority and deliver the keys of this
Priesthood, in order that all the ordinances may be
attended to in righteousness. It is true that the Savior
had authority and power to .bestow this blessing; but
the sons of Levi were too prejudiced."

Here Jesus paid deference to the Priesthood, who
held keys relating to the ministration of its powers and

*Page 310, New Edition.

78 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

blessings, but it is not unreasonable to suppose, when
other worlds are concerned, over__ whom also He holds_
the keys of salvation, that these considerations would
not necessarily interpose, and that He would send or
commission members of the translated Priesthood of
Enoch's Zion amongst terrestrial worlds whithersoever it
pleased Him, in the interests of the peoples thus sit-
uated.

We now resume our extracts from the prophecy ■ of
Enoch ;

"And Enoch beheld angels descending out of heaven,
bearing testimony of the Father and of the Son; and
the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught
up by the power of heaven into Zion. * * *

"And it came to pass that Enoch looked; and from
Noah, he beheld all the families of the earth; and he
cried unto the Lord, saying, When shall the day of the
Lord come? When shall the blood of the Righteous be
shed, that all they that mourn may be • sanctified, and
have eternal life? And the Lord said, It shall be in
the meridian of time, in the days of wickedness and
vengeance. And behold, Enoch saw the day of the
coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his
soul rejoiced, saying, The Righteous is lifted up, and
the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world;
and through faith I am in the bosom of the Father,
and behold, Zion is with me! * * *

" Enoch continued his cry unto the Lord, saying, I
ask thee, Lord, in the name of thine Only Begotten,
even Jesus Christ, that thou wilt have mercy upon
Noah and his seed, that the earth might never more be
covered by the floods? And the Lord could not withhold;
and he covenanted with Enoch, and sware unto him
with an path, that he would stay the floods; that he
would call upon the children of Noah; and he sent
forth an unalterable decree, that a remnant of his seed
should always be found among all nations, while the
earth should stand; and the Lord said, Blessed is he
through whose seed Messiah shall come; for he saith, I

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 79

am Messiah, the King of Zion, the Rock of Heaven,
which is broad as eternity; and whoso cometh in at
the gate and climbeth up by me, shall never fall. * * *

"And the Lord said unto Enoch, Look; and he
looked and beheld the Son of Man lifted up on the
cross, after the manner of men; and he heard a loud
voice; and the heavens were veiled; and all the crea-
tions of God mourned; and the earth groaned; and the
rocks were rent; and the Saints ■ arose, and were
crowned at the right hand of the Son of Man, with
crowns of glory; and as many of the spirits as were in
prison came forth, and stood on the right hand of God;
and the remainder were reserved in chains of darkness
until the judgment of the great day. * * *

"And it came to pass that Enoch saw the day of
the coming of the Son of Man, in the last days, to
dwell on the earth in righteousness for the space of a
thousand years. * * *

"And the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto
the end of the world; and he saw the day of the
righteous, the hour of their redemption, and received a
fulness of joy; and all the days of Zion, in the days
of Enoch, were three hundred and sixty-five years; and
Enoch and all his people walked with God, and he
dwelt in the midst of Zion; and it came to pass that
Zion was not, for God received it up into his own
bosom; and from thence went forth the saying, Zion is
fled."

From the foregoing extracts we learn amongst other
truths, all based upon Enoch's faith in the atoning blood
of the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the
world, the following:

That Enoch was clothed with glory and saw the
Lord, who talked with Him as one man talks with
another, even face to face.

That the Lord commanded Enoch to preach repent-
ance; and to baptize in the name of the Father, and
the Son, which is full of grace and truth, and the Holy
Spirit, which bears record of the Father and the Son.

80 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

That so great was the faith of Enoch that he led
the people of God, overthrew their enemies, and at his
word the earth trembled, whilst the mountains, rivers
and seas obeyed his command.

That through this faith Enoch saw the days of the
coming of the Son of Man in the flesh, and by it he
obtained a covenant from the Lord that after Noah's
day He would never again cover • the earth by a flood,
and obtained an unalterable decree that a remnant of
his seed should always be founcl among all nations
while the earth should stand.

That the Lord showed Enoch the world and its
future history for the space of many generations, even
unto the end of the world.

That so great was the faith and righteousness of
Enoch and his people, that the Lord came down and
dwelt with them, and in process of time. Enoch's City,
Zion, was taken up into heaven, and many, through the
testimony of the Father and the Son, were afterwards
caught up by the powers of Heaven into Zion.

And, further, that while Enoch, through the favor
of the Almighty, not only had a mission to preach the
Gospel and to gather the people, but that he was also
empowered to have the people that he had thus gath-
ered, and taught and instructed in the laws of life, and
the city in which they dwelt, translated and taken into
the bosom of the Father, there to be preserved until
the latter times, while the threatened calamities should
overtake the world. But he also further obtained a
promise that the future peopling of the earth should
come through his seed; thus making him one of the
great agencies to administer salvation in the heavens
and upon the earth.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 81

CHAPTER X.

Noah— His Sacrifice — God's Covenant with Him — Melchizedek — His Priest-
hood — Its Powers — Instances thereof Recorded in the Bible, in the
Book of Mormon and in Latter-days — All Power of the Priesthood
the Result of Faith in Christ and Impossible without the Atone-
ment — The Power of the Priesthood the Power of God — The Glory
of God in the Immortality of Man — Christ the Word, the Creator.

After the waters of the flood had subsided, we are
told, Noah and his family came forth out of the ark:

"And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord, and
took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl, and
offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord
smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart,
I will not again curse the ground any more for man's
sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil Lorn
his youth: neither will I again smite any more every
thing living, as I have done. While the earth remain-
eth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and
summer and winter, and day and night, shall not
cease."— Gen., viii, 20—22.

The details of this act are given us somewhat dif-
ferently in the inspired translation: it is there written:

"And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord, and
took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and
offered burnt offerings on the altar; and gave thanks
unto the Lord, and rejoiced in his heart. And the Lord
spake unto Noah, and he blessed him. And Noah smelt
a sweet savour, and he said in his heart, I will call
on the name of the Lord, that he will not again curse
the ground any more for man's sake, for the imagina-
tion of man's heart is evil from his youth; and that
he will not smite any more every thing living, as he
hath done, while the earth remaineth; and that seed
time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and

"82 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

winter, and day and night may not cease with
man."

Thus, we discover that the first act after the des-
truction of the world by a flood was a recognition of
the great expiatory principle .of the atonement, which
was to be made by the Only Begotten Son of God, as
revealed by the angel to Adam. And as God recognized
Adam's and Abel's offerings, so He also recognized that
of Noah: and as a result, the Patriarch obtained great
promises, in which the people of all ages, then to come,
would be interested. For " God spake unto Noah, and
to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I will
•establish my covenant with you, which I made unto
your father Enoch, concerning your seed after you. And
it shall come to pass, that every living creature that is
with you, of the fowl, and of the cattle, and of the
beast of the earth that is with you, which shall go out
of the ark, shall not altogether perish : neither shall all
flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood;
neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the
earth. And I will establish my covenant with you,
which I made unto Enoch, concerning the remnants of
your posterity. And God made a covenant with Noah,
.and said, This shall be the token of the covenant I
make between me and you, and for every living crea-
ture with you, for perpetual generations, I will set my
bow in the cloud; and it shall be for a token of a
covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come
to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the
bow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember
my covenant, which I have made between me and you,
for every living creature of all flesh. And the waters
shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And
the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon
it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant, which
I made unto thy father Enoch; that, when men should
keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on
the earth, the city of Enoch, which I have caught up
unto myself. And this is mine everlasting covenant,

THE- MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 83

that when thy posterity shall embrace the truth, and
look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all
the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth
shall tremble with joy; and the general assembly of the '
Church of the First-born shall come down out of heaven
and possess the earth, and shall have place until the
end come. And this is mine everlasting covenant, which
I made with thy father Enoch. And the bow shall be
in the cloud, and I will establish my covenant unto
thee, ' which I have made between me and thee, for
every living creature of all flesh that shall be upon the
earth." — Inspired Translation, Gen., ix, 15 — 24.

We will now turn to Melchizedek, of whom it is
written in King James' translation:

"And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth
bread and wine: and -he was the priest of the most
high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be
Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and
earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath
delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave
him tithes of all."— Gen., xiv, 18—20.

This passage is given with greater completeness in
the inspired translation, where it appears as follows:
"And Melchizedek, King of Salem, brought forth bread
and wine; and he brake bread and blessed it; and he
blessed the wine, he being the priest of the Most High
God; and he gave to Abram, and he blessed him, and
said, Blessed Abram, thou art a man of the Most High
God, possessor of heaven and of earth; and blessed is the
name of the Most High God, which hath delivered
thine enemies into ''thine hand. And Abram gave him
tithes of all he had taken."

In this action of Melchizedek, in administering the
bread and wine, by virtue of his priestly office, is there
not a representation of the body and blood of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ, as also indicated by the Mes-
siah Himself when He partook of the passover with His
disciples? For Melchizedek was a great High Priest, of
the same order and like Priesthood as was held by the

84 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

Son of God. So great, indeed, that "before his day it
was called the Holy Priesthood, after the order of the
Son of God; but out of respect or reverence to the
name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent
repetition of his name, they, the church, in ancient
days, called that Priesthood after Melchizedek, or the
Melchizedek Priesthood." — Doc. and Cov., Sec. 107, Par.
3, 4, p. 383.

Paul, also, in reasoning on this subject in his epis-
tle to the Hebrews, chapter vii, writes:

" For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the
most high God, who met Abraham returning from the
slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also
Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by inter-
pretation King of righteousness, and after that also
King of Salem, which is, King of peace; without father,
without mother, without descent, having neither begin-
ning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the
Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Now consider
how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch
Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And verily they
that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of
the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of
the people according to the law, that is, of their breth-
ren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
but he whose descent is not counted from them received
tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the
promises. And without all contradiction the less is
blessed of the better."

To make the matter still plainer we transcribe the
third verse from the inspired translation:

"For this Melchizedek was ordained a priest after
the order of the Son of God, which order was without
father, without mother, without descent, having neither
beginning of days nor end of life. And all those who
are ordained unto this priesthood are made like unto
the Son of God, abiding a priest continually."

In Genesis, inspired translation, chapter xiv, it is also
stated regarding Melchizedek:

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 85

" Thus, having been approved of God, he was
ordained an high priest after the order of the covenant
which God made with Enoch, it being after the order
of the Son of God; which order came, not by man, nor
the will of man; neither by father, nor mother; neither
by beginning of days, nor end of years; but of God.
And it was delivered unto men by the calling of his
own voice, according to his own will, unto as many as
believed on his name. For God having sworn unto
Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself, that
every one being ordained after this order and calling
should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to
divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of
their course, to put at defiance the armies of nations,
to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in
the presence of God; to do all things according to his
will, according to his command, subdue principalities
and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God,
which • was from before the foundation of the world.
And men having this faith, coming up unto this order
of God, were translated and taken up into heaven. And
now, Melchizedek was a priest of this order; therefore
he obtained peace in Salem, and was called the Prince
of peace, and his people wrought righteousness, and
obtained heaven, and sought for the city of Enoch
which God had before taken; separating it from the
earth, having reserved it unto the latter-days, or the
end of the world, and hath said, and sworn with an
oath, that the heavens and the earth should come
together; and the sons of God should be tried so as
by fire. And this Melchizedek, having thus established
righteousness, was called the king of heaven by his
people, or, in other words, the King of peace."

From the above it would seem that this people
possessed the power of Translation, and that they "ob-
tained heaven, and sought for the city of Enoch which
God had before taken," or which was before translated.

The principle of power also over the varied creations
of God, above spoken of, pertaining to the Holy Priesthood

86 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

after the order of the Son of God, has, by faith, been
manifested to the world in the lives and actions of
numbers of the servants of the Most High. The power
of Enoch, wherein he caused the earth to tremble, whilst
mountains fled at his command, and rivers were turned
out of their course, has already been referred to. By
this power, exercised in mighty faith, Melchizedek
stopped the mouths of lions and quenched the violence
of fire;* by it the waters of the Red Sea were divided
by Moses, and the children of Israel passed through dry
shod;f by it Elijah J and Elisha§ smote the waters of
the Jordan and crossed on dry land; by it Daniel
escaped the ferocity of the lions, || and the three Hebrew
children were delivered from the fiery furnace. If

By this same power in the Messianic dispensation
the Apostles were delivered from bonds and imprison-
ment; by it Paul shook off the viper that had fastened
upon his hand;** by it Philip ff was caught away by
the Spirit of the Lord after he had baptized the Ethi-
opean eunuch; by it John was preserved when he was
cast into a cauldron of boiling oil, that it did not hurt
him; by it the dead were raised, the lepers cleansed,
the sick healed, devils cast out, and other mighty works
performed by Jesus and His disciples; and by it Christ
broke the bands of death and became the resurrection
and the life, the first fruits of them that slept, the con-
queror of death, the Savior of the world and Redeemer
of mankind.

Again, on this continent, one of the Nephite Pro-
phets, Jacob, the son of Lehi, records: "We truly can
command in the name of Jesus, and the very trees obey
us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea." (Jacob,
iv, $,). By faith the brother of Jared, who held this
power, said unto the mountain Zerin, Remove; and it
was removed ;J| by it Alma and Amulek caused the walls

*Inspired Trans. Gen., xiv, 26. t Ex °dus, xiv, 21. J2 Kings, v 7 8

§2 Kings, ii, 14. ||Daniel, vi, 16—23. ^Daniel, iii, 19— ST.

**Acts, xxviii, 3—6. fjA-cts, viii, 39. JiEther, xii, 30.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 87

of the prison in Ammonihah to tumble to .the ground;*
by it Nephi and Lehi wrought the surpassing change
upon the Lamanites that they were baptized with fire
and the Holy Ghost ;f by it Ammon and his brethren
wrought so great a miracle in the conversion of the
Lamanites ;J and by it also the disciples of Jesus who
tarried amongst the Nephites showed forth the power
spoken of in the following passage:

"Therefore they did exercise power and authority
over the disciples of Jesus who did tarry with them,
and they did cast them into prison: but by the power
of the word of God, which was in them, the prisons
were rent in twain, and they went forth doing mighty
miracles among them. Nevertheless, and notwithstanding
all these miracles, the people did harden their hearts,
and did seek to kill them, even as the Jews at Jerusa-
lem sought to kill Jesus, according to his word; and
they did cast them into furnaces of fire, and they came
forth receiving no harm; and they also cast them into
dens of wild beasts, and they did play with the wild
beasts even as a child with a lamb; and they did
come forth from among them, "receiving no harm." —
4 Nephi, i, 30—33.

This same power has also been abundantly mani-
fested in these latter days in the midst of the Saints
of God, in deliverances from evil, in escapes from ene-
mies, in the quelling of mobs, in the stilling of the
angry waves of the sea, in the healing of the sick, in
the casting out of unclean spirits, and in many other
miraculous manifestations of the power and goodness of
God, and of the authority with which He has invested
His servants who are endowed and clothed upon with the
Priesthood, which is endless and after the order of the
Son of God.

Thus, through the atonement of Jesus, and the sal-
vation and redemption brought about by that atonement

*Alma, xiv, 26 — 29. -J-Helaman, v, 43 — 19. JAlma, xvii — xxvii.

88 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

these wonderful manifestations and deliverances have
been accomplished by faith in God; and the Priesthood
being after the order of the Son of God, and proceed-
ing from Him, through the atonement, those who held
this Priesthood possessed, according to their faith, the
above mentioned powers; and without that atonement
this power never could have existed, for men without
that sacrifice could not have been brought into that
relationship to God, by which they would have the
right, the power and authority to act in His name, or
to be His representatives to fallen humanity.

]> fact, the power manifested by the Priesthood is
simply the power of God, for He is the head of the
Priesthood, with Jesus as our President and great High
Priest; and it is upon this principle that all the works
of God have been accomplished, whether on the earth
or in the heavens; and any manifestation of power
through the Priesthood on the earth is simply a dele-
gated power from the Priesthood in the heavens, and
the more the Priesthood on the earth becomes assimi-
lated with and subject to the Priesthood in the heavens
the more of this power shall we possess. Hence Paul,
in speaking on this subject, says:

"Through faith we understand that the worlds were
framed by the word of God, so that things which are
seen were not made of things which do appear." —
Heb., xi, 3.

The work of God and the glory of God is to bring
to pass the immortality and eternal life of man; as it is
written: "For this is my work and my glory, to bring
to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Pearl
of Great Price.) The creation of man and the multipli-
cation of man was one thing, the immortality and eter-
nal life of man and his exaltation is another thing; and
in the organization of the world, and in the calculations
of the Almighty pertaining to this immortality and eter-
nal life, it would seem that it was decreed that the
Only Begotten Son was provided for the purpose of
accomplishing this object; and hence Christ was the

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 89

Lamb slain, according to the eternal purposes of God,
before the foundation of the world.

In relation to the creation of the worlds, as above
referred to by Paul, John, in the commencement of his
Gospel, somewhat after the manner of a preface or intro-
duction, writes: "In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The
same was in the beginning with God. All things were
made by him; and without him was not anything made
that was made. In him was life; and the life was
the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness;
and the darkness comprehended it not." (John, i, 1 — 5.)
Or to give the passage, in the wording of the inspired
translation: "In the beginning was the Gospel preached
through the Son. And the Gospel was the word, and
the word was with the, Son, and the Son was with God,
and the Son was of God. The same was in the begin-
ning with God. All things were made by him; and
without him was not anything made which was made.
In him was the Gospel, and the Gospel was the life, *
and the life was the light of men; and the light shin-
eth in the world, and the world perceiveth it not."
From the testimony of John, as given in the Book of
Doctrine and Covenants, we also extract the following:

"And he bore record, saying, I saw his glory that
he was in the beginning before the world was; there-
fore in the beginning the Word was, for he was the
Word, even the messenger of salvation, the light and
the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who
came into the world, because the world was made by
him, and in him was the life of men and the light ot
men. The worlds were made by him: men were made
by him: all things were made by him, and through
him, and of him. And I, John, bear record that I
beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of
the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of
truth, which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt
among us." — Sec. xciii, 7—11, p. 329.

Paul, likewise, in his Epistles, more than once

90 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

directs attention to this great truth. In writing to the
Colossians he says :

"For by him were all things created, that are in
heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities,
or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
and he is before all things, and by him all things con-
sist."— Col., i, 16, 17.

And to the Hebrews he writes, that God "hath in
these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he
hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he
made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory,
and the express image of his person, and upholding all
things by the word of his power, when he had by
himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand
of the Majesty on high. — Heb., i, 2, 3.

God revealed these things unto Moses; but his words
in relation thereto are among the precious things that
have been taken from the Scriptures by the iniquity of
man; amongst those restored to us by modern revelation
are the following words of God to that Patriarch with
regard to the creation:

| "And by the word of my power have I created
them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of
grace and truth. And worlds without number have I
created; and I also created them for mine own purpose;
and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only
Begotten. And the first man of all men have I called
Adam, which is many. But only an account of this
earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you.
For behold, there are many worlds which have passed
away by the word of my power. And there are many
also which now stand, and numberless are they unto
man, but all things are numbered unto me, for they
are mine and I know them." — Pearl of Great Price.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 91

CHAPTER XL

Abraham's Record Concerning the Creation — The Council in Heaven—
The Father's Plan, the Son's Acceptance, Satan's Rebellion— The
Agency of Man— Suggestions Regarding Satan's Plan to Save All
Mankind.

The Lord also revealed to Abraham many great and
glorious principles and truths relating to the creation.
We extract the following from the fragment of the
writings of that Patriarch, which has been graciously
restored to us by the Lord in these days:

"And the Gods prepared the earth to bring forth
the living creature after his kind, cattle and creeping
things, and beasts of the earth after their kind; and it
was so, as they had said. And the Gods organized the
earth to bring forth the beasts after their kind, the cat-
tle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon
the earth after their kind; and the Gods saw they
would obey. And the Gods took counsel among them-
selves and said, Let us go down and form man in our
image, after our likeness; and we will give them domin-
ion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the
air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and
over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So the Gods went down to organize man in their own
image, in the image of the Gods to form they him,
male and female, to form they them; and the Gods
said, We will bless them. And the Gods said, We will
cause them to be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish •
the earth, and subdue it, and to have dominion over
the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and
over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
And the Gods said, Behold, we will give them every
herb bearing seed that shall come upon the face of all
the earth, and every tree which shall have fruit upon

92 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEM ENT.

it, yea, the fruit of the tree yielding seed to them
we will give it; it shall be for their meat: and to
every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the
air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
behold, we will give them life, and also we will give
to them every green herb for meat, and all these
things shall be thus organized. And the Gods said, We
will do every thing that we have said, and organize
them; and behold, they shall be very obedient. And it
came to pass that it was from evening until morning
they called night; and it came to pass that it was from
morning until evening that they called day; and they
numbered the sixth time.

VAnd thus we will finish the heavens and the earth,
and all the hosts of them. And the Gods said among
themselves, On the seventh time we will end our work
which we have counseled; and we will rest on the
seventh time from all our work which we have coun-
seled. And the Gods concluded upon the seventh time,
because that on the seventh time they would rest from
all their works which they (the Gods) counseled among
themselves to form, and sanctified it. And thus were
their decisions at the time that they counseled among
themselves to form the heavens and the earth.

"And the Gods came down and formed these the
generations of the heavens "and of the earth, when they
were formed in the day that the Gods formed the earth
and the heavens, according to all that which they had
said concerning every plant of the field before it was
in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew;
for the Gods had not caused it to rain upon the earth
when they counseled to do them, and had not formed
a man to till the ground; but there went up a mist
from the earth, and watered the whole face of the
ground. And the Gods formed man from the dust of
the ground, and took his spirit (that is, the man's
spirit,) and put it into him, and breathed into his nos-
trils the breath of life, and man became a living soul."

Although this matter of the Council or Conference

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 93

is not so fully exhibited in the Old Testament Scrip-
tures as in this revelation to Abraham, yet it is defi-
nitely stated in the Book of Genesis that God said,
"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness;"
and again, after Adam had taken of the forbidden fruit
the Lord said, "Behold, the man has become as one of
us;" and the inference is direct that in all that related
to the work of the creation of the world, there was a
consultation; and though God spake as it is recorded in
the Bible, yet it is evident He counseled with others.
The Scriptures tell us there are J'. Gods—many— and—Lords
many. But — to. -us~ there— is-'b"uT~o^e^Go^~the--Fath«r J iL
(1 Cor., viii, 5.) And for this reason, though there were
others engaged in the creation of the worlds, it is given
to us in the Bible in the shape that it is; for the ful-
ness of these truths is only revealed to highly favored
persons for certain reasons known to God; as we are
told in the Scriptures: "The secret of the Lord is
with them that fear him; and he will show them his
covenant." — Psalms, xxv, 14.

It is consistent to believe that at this Council in
the heavens the plan that should be adopted in relation
to the sons of God who were then spirits, and had not
yet obtained tabernacles, was duly considered. For, in
view of the creation of the world and the placing of
men upon it, whereby it would be possible for them to
obtain tabernacles, and in those tabernacles obey laws of
life, and with them again be exalted among the Gods,
we are told, that at that time, "the morning stars sang
together, and all the sons of God shouted for' joy." _The
ques^n__then__arose L _ hgw and upon what princ iple,
should ^ the salvation^ exaltat ion and eternal glory of
God's sons beorought about? It is evident that at that
Council certain plans nad Been proposed and discussed,
and that after a full discussion of those principles, and
the declaration of the Father's will pertaining to His
design, Lucifer came before the Father, with a plan
of his own, saying, " Behold I, send me, I will
be thy Son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one

94 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; where-
fore, give me thine honor." But Jesus, on hearing
this statement made by Lucifer, said, "Father, thy will
be done, and the glory be thine forever." From these
remarks made by the well beloved Son, we should
naturally infer that in the discussion of this subject the
Father had made known His will and developed His
plan and design pertaining to these matters, and all that
His well beloved Son wanted to do was to carry out
the will of His Father, as it would appear had been
before expressed. He also wished the glory to be given
to His Father, who, as God the Father, and the origi-
nator and designer of the plan, had a right to all the
honor and glory. But Lucifer wanted to introduce a
plan contrary to the will of his Father, and then
wanted His honor, and said: "I will save every soul of
man, wherefore give me thine honor." He wanted to go
contrary to the will of his Father, and presumptuously
sought to deprive man of his free agency, thus making
him a serf, and placing him in a position in which it
was' impossible for him to obtain that exaltation which
God designed should be man's, through obedience to the
law which He had suggested; and again, Lucifer wanted
the honor and power of his Father, to enable him to
carry out principles which were contrary to the Father's
wish. (/

And further, in regard to agency; if man had not
had his agency, or if he had been deprived of his
agency, he could not have been tempted of the devil,
or of any other power; for if the will of God pre-
vailed, and was carried out without man's action or
agency, it would have been impossible for him to have
done anything wrong, for he would have been deprived
of the power of doing that wrong. This was the posi-
tion that Satan desired to place, not only the spirits in
the heavens, but also mankind upon the earth. And
Satan said, "Surely I will save every one of them,
wherefore, give me thine honor." But God's plan was
different from this, and, as stated above, had been

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 95

decided upon in the Councils of heaven; and the Father
had made a decree as to how these things should be
done; and that both the inhabitants of heaven and the
inhabitants of earth should have their free agency. It
was against this that Lucifer rebelled; and he could
not have rebelled against a plan or commandment that
had not been given; for rebellion signifies a violation
of law, command, or authority; and he was cast out
of heaven because of this rebellion. This rebellion could
not have existed without a free agency; for without a
free agency they would all have been compelled to do
the will of the Father. But having the free agency,
they used it; and Lucifer and a third part of the
angels were cast out because they rebelled and used
this agency in opposition to their heavenly Father.
And not only because they rebelled, but s because, as
stated, "they sought to destroy the agency of man;"
and their agency would have been used in opposition to
the interests, happiness and eternal exaltation of man-
kind, which were proposed to be accomplished through
the atonement and redemption provided by Jesus Christ.
In accordance with this we find the following statements
in the revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith: I

"Behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled
against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my
power: and also a third part of the hosts of heaven
turned he away from me because of their agency; and
they were thrust down, and thus came the devil and
his angels. And, behold, there is a place prepared for
them from the beginning, which place is hell: and it
must needs be that the devil should tempt the children
of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves,
for if they never should have bitter, they could not
know the sweet. "-*Doc. and Cov., xxix, 36 — 39, p. 146.

And again: "And this we saw also, and bear record,
that an angel of God who was in authority in the
presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begot-
ten Son, whom the Father loved, and who was in the
bosom of the Father — was thrust down from the pres-

96 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

ence of God and the Son, and was called Perdition,
for the heavens wept over him — he was Lucifer, a son
of the morning. And we beheld, and lo, he is fallen!
is fallen ! even a son of the morning. And while we
were yet in the Spirit, the Lord commanded us that we
should write the vision, for we beheld Satan, that old
serpent — even the devil — who rebelled against God, and
sought to take the kingdom of our God and his Christ."
Doc. and Cov., lxxvi, 25—28, p. 267.

The Father accepted the offer of His well beloved
Son, and proceeded to carry out the decision of the
Council, and, as we are informed in the Bible (inspired
translation), God said to His Only Begotten, " Let us
make man in our image, • after our likeness, and it
was so. 5 '

There are other questions mixed up with this rebel-
lion besides those above referred to, and those questions
are directly connected with the atonement. I In the event
of man having his free will and being subject to the
power of temptation, the weakness of the flesh, the
allurements of the world, and the powers of darkness,
it was known that he must necessarily fall, and being
fallen, it would be impossible tor him to redeem him-
self, and that, according to an eternal law of justice, it
would require an mrinite, expiatory atonement to redeem
man, to save him trom the effects and rum of the
Fall, and to place him m a condition where he could
again be reinstated in the tavor of God, according to
the eternal laws of justice and mercy; and find his way
back to the presence of the Father.* Satan (it is possi-
ble) being opposed to the will of his Father, wished to
avoid the responsibilities of this position, and rather
than assume the consequences of the acceptance of the
plan of the Father, he would deprive man of his free
agency, and render it impossible for him to obtain that
exaltation which God. designed. It would further seem
probable that he refused to take the position of redeemer,
and assume all the consequences associated therewith,
but he did propose, as stated before, to take another

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 97

plan and deprive man of his agency, and he probably
intended to make men atone for their own acts by an
act of coercion, and the shedding of their own blood
as an atonement for their sins; therefore, he says, "1
will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be
lost; and surely I will do it; wherefore, give me thine
honor." His plan, however, was rejected as contrary to
the counsel of God, his Father. The well beloved Son
then addressed the Father, and instead of proposing to
' carry out any plan of his own, knowing what His Father's
will was, said, "Thy will be done;" 'I will carry out thy
plans and thy designs, and, as man will fall, I will offer
myself as an atonement according to thy will, God.
Neither do I wish the honor, but thine be the glory;'"
('and a covenant was entered into between Him and His
Father, in which He agreed to atone for the sins of
the world; and He thus, as stated, became the Lamb
slain from before the foundation of the world. In this
connection it is related by Abraham:

"And there stood one among them that was like
unto God. and he said unto those who were with him,
We will go down, for there is space there, and we will
take of these materials, and we will make an earth
whereon these may dwell; and we will prove them
herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever
the Lord their God shall command them ; and they
who keep their first estate, shall be added upon; and
they who keep not their first estate, shall not have
glory in the same kingdom with those who keep . their
first estate; and they who keep their second estate, shall
have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever."

And hence, as Jesus Himself said, "Thus it is
written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to
rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance
and remission of sins should be preached in his name
among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

We will now give in full the quotation from the
Pearl of Great Price with J regard to the above matter,
and also add a short recapitulation.

98 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

"And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying,
That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name
of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from
the beginning, and he came before me, saying, Behold I,
send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all
mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I
will do it; wherefore give me thine honor. But, behold,
my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen
from the beginning, said unto me, Father, thy will be
done, and the glory be thine for ever. Wherefore,
because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to
destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had
given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine
own power, by the power of mine Only Begotten I caused
that he should be cast down, and he became Satan, yea,
even the Devil, the father of all lies, to deceive, and
to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will,
•even as many as would not hearken unto my voice."

\ From the above we gather: First, that the proposition
of Lucifer was an act of rebellion "against me" — God.

Second, that God had already decreed that man
should have his free agency, and this agency had been
given to* him by the Lord, as it is said, "which I, the
Lord God, had given him."

Third, that Lucifer coveted and asked for a power
which was the prerogative of the Almighty and alone
belonged to God; and which He called "mine own power."

Fourth, that for this rebellion Lucifer was cast out
and became Satan.

Fifth, that the power by which he was cast out,
was by a certain power, or Priesthood which had been con-
ferred by God on His Only Begotten; for he said, "By
the power of mine Only Begotten I caused that he
should be cast down."

Sixth, that being cast down and becoming Satan,
" even the devil, the father of lies," his office was to
deceive and to blind men; as it is stated, "to deceive,
and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will,
even as many as would not hearken unto my voice. A

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 99

CHAPTER XII.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — Sacrifices Offered by Them — Abraham and
the Gospel Covenant — Extracts from the Book of Abraham and the
Writings of Paul.

We will now return to Abraham, who is denominated
the Father of the Faithful, and who, as we have before
seen, was a contemporary of Melchizedck. The testimony
I in the Bible is direct and explicit that Abraham ful-
filled the law requiring the offering of sacrifices, and
furthermore was in possession of the principles of the
Gospel and understood the saving value of the atonement.
In the historical narrative of the Book of Genesis,
we have numerous testimonies that Abraham offered up
sacrifices, in connection with his worship of the Al-
mighty. For instance, it is written:

"And Abram passed through the land unto the place
of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaan-
ite was then in the land. And the Lord appeared unto
Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land;
and there builded he an' altar unto the Lord, who
1 appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto
I a mountain on the east Of Beth-el, and pitched his tent,
having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east: and
there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called
upon the name of the Lord." — Gen., xii, 6 — 8.

In the next chapter we are told that Abraham
"went on his journeys from the south even to Beth-el,
unto the place where his tent had been at the begin-
ning, between Beth-el and Hai; unto the place of the
altar, which he had made there at the first: and there
Abram called on the name of the Lord." — Gen., xiii, 3, 4.
And afterwards he removed his "tent, and came and
/ dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and
' built there an altar unto the Lord." — Gen., xiii, 18.

100 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

The Book of Abraham gives some further details on
these matters. The Patriarch therein states:

"Now I, Abraham, built an altar in the land of Jer-
shon, and made an offering unto the Lord, and prayed
that the famine might be turned away from my father's
house, that they might not perish; and then we passed
from Jershon through the land, unto the place of Sechem.
It was situated in the plains of Moreh, and we had
already come into the borders of the land of the
Canaanites, and I offered sacrifice there in the plains of
Moreh, and called on the Lord devoutly, because we
had already come into the land of this idolatrous
nation. And the Lord appeared unto me in answer to
my prayers, and said unto me, Unto thy seed will I
give this land. And I, Abraham, arose from the place
of the altar which I had built unto the Lord, and
removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of
Bethel, and pitched my tent there, Bethel on the west,
and Hai on the east: and there I built another altar
unto the Lord, and called again upon the name of
the Lord." — Pearl of Great Piice.

Although full details are not given of the mode of
sacrifice in those ancient times, nor of all the creatures
that were acceptable unto the Lord, in the performance
of this rite, yet the narrative of the contemplated sacrifice
of Isaac by his father is indicative of the principle being
well understood. We are told that the young man said:
"My Father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he
said. Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb
for a burnt-offering? And Abraham said, My son, God
will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering." — Gen.,
xxii, 7, 8.

It is evident from other scriptures that Abraham
offered up these sacrifices in token of the great expiatory
sacrifice of the Son of God. Indeed the Redeemer him-
self told the Jews, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see
my day: and he saw it, and was glad." — John, viii, 56.

In confirmation of this statement we read in the
inspired translation of the Book of Genesis that the Lord

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. lOl

said to Abraham, in relation to his possession of the land
ot Canaan, "'Though thou wast dead, yet am I not able to
give it thee? And if thou shalt die, yet thou shalt possess
it, for the day cometh that the Son of Man shall live;
but how can he live if he be not dead? He must first
be quickened. And it came to pass, that Abram looked
forth and saw the days of the Son- of Man, and was glad,
and his soul found rest, and he believed in the Lord; and
the Lord counted it unto him for righteousness."

Again, Paul, in writing to the Galatians, states:
"And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the
heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto
Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So
then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful
Abraham." — Gal., iii, 8, 9.

This promise is corroborated by the statements of
Peter to the Jews:

"Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the cov-
enant which God made with our fathers, saying unto
Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the
.earth be blessed. Unto you first, God, having raised up
his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away
every one of you from his iniquities." — Acts, iii, 25, 26.

The record oi this covenant is to be found in the
Book of Genesis, as follows :

"Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out
of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy
father's house, unto a land that I will show thee; and
1 will make of thee a great nation ; and I will
bless thee, and make thy name great ; and I will
bless them that bless thee, and curse him that
curseth thee, and in thee shall all families of the earth
be blessed." — Gen., xii, 1 — 3. *

It will be noticed in the above quotation from the
Book of Genesis, that no reference is made to the
preaching of the Gospel to Abraham in connection with
these great promises as spoken of by Paul. This de-

* See hIso Genesis, xviii, 18 ; xxii, 18.

102 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

hciency is supplied Dy the Book of Abraham, wherein
the covenant between God and His faithful servant is
given at greatei jength In that covenant we find the
following

"My name is Jehovah, and I will make of thee
a great nation and 1 will bless thee above measure,
and make thy name great among all nations, and thou
shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in
their hands they shall bear this ministry and priest-
hood unto all nations, and I will bless them through
thy name ; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be
called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed,
and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father; and
I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them
that curse thee ; and in thee (that is, in thy priest-
hood) and in thy seed, (that is, thy priesthood,) for 1
give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue
in thee, and in thy seed after thee, (that is to say,
the literal seed, or the seed of the body,) shall all
the families of the earth be blessed, even with the
blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salva-
tion, even of life eternal."

Of the personal history of Isaac we have but a
very meagre account in the Bible; however, sufficient is
said to inform us that he, like his father, offered up
sacrifices, that his offering was acceptable to God, and
that He renewed with him the covenant previously
made with Abraham. Of Isaac it is written: "And he
went up from thence to Beer-sheba. And the Lord ap-
peared unto him the same night, and said, I am the
God of Abraham thy father: fear not, n for I am with
thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my
servant Abraham's sake. And he builded an altar there,
and called upon the name of the Lord." — Gen., xxvi,
23—25.

Jacob followed in the footsteps of his father. He
worshipped the true and living God, and had the
blessings of his fathers confirmed on him. Regarding
sacrifices we are informed that, after his sudden departure

■

R

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 103

from Laban and their later somewhat stormy interview,
"Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount" (Gen., xxxi,
52); and again, shortly after, by command of the Lord,
he journeyed to Bethel, "and he built there an altar
and called the place El-beth-el," or the House of God. —
Gen., xxxv, 7.

CHAPTER XIII.

Sacrifices in the Days of Moses — The Institution of the Passover and
the Exodus— The Symbolism of the Paschal Lamb — The Covenant of
the Atonement between Christ and His Father — The Redeemed —
Tokens of Covenants — The Rainbow — The Name of Jesus the Only
Name— The Levites.

In regard to the offering of sacrifices, it is very evi-
dent that in the days of Moses the children of Israel
were quite familiar with this rite, as also were the
Egyptians. For one great request which Moses and
Aaron made of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, was, "Let us
go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the des-
ert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God;" and as a
reason why they should thus go into the wilderness it
was urged by them, when the Egyptian monarch said,
"Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land," that "it is
not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomina-
tion of the Egyptians to the Lord our God: lo, shall
we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before
their eyes, and will they not stone us? We will go
three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to
the Lord our God, as he shall command us." — Ex., viii,
26, 27.

It is further stated, that after a time, when all

104 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

other judgments had failed to bring about the desired
effect with Pharaoh, that "Moses said, Thus saith the
Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of
Egypt: and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall
die, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon
his throne, even unto the first-born of the maid-servant
that is behind the mill; and all the first-born of beasts.
And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land
of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be
like it any more. But against any of the children of
Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or
beast: that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a
difference between the Egyptians and Israel." — Ex., xi, 4 — 7.

The next chapter gives the history of the fulfil-
ment of this threatened judgment and the results that
flowed therefrom. It is recorded:

"And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the
land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you
the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of
the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of
Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they
shall take to them every man a lamb according to the
house of their fathers, a iamb for an house: and if the
household be too little for the lamb, let him and his
neighbor next unto his house take it according to the
number of the souls: every man according to his eat-
ing shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb
shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye
shall take it out from the sheep or from the goats:
and ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of
the same month: and the whole assembly of the con-
gregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And
they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two
side-posts, and on the upper door-post of the houses,
wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh
in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread;
and with bitter herbs they shall eat it." — Ex., xii, 1 — 8.

"And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded
your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand:

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 105

•and ye shall eat it in baste ; it is the Lord's passover.
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night,
and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt,
both man and beast: and against all the gods of Egypt
I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. And the
blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses
where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass
over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to
■destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this
day shall be unto you for a memorial ; and ye shall
keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations:
ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever." —
Ex., xii, 11—14.

"Then Moses called for all the Elders of Israel,
and said unto them, Draw out, and take you a lamb,
according to your families, and kill the passover. And
ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the
blood that' is in the basin, and strike the lintel and
the two side-posts with the blood that is in the basin :
and none of you shall go out at the door of his house
until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to
smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon
the lintel, and on the two side-posts, the Lord will pass
over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come
in unto your houses to smite you. And ye shall observe
this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for
ever."— Ex., xii, 21—24.

"And the children of Israel went away, and did as
the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did
they. And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord
smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the
first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne, unto the
first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and
all the first-born of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in
the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyp-
tians; and there was a great cry in Egypt : for there
was not a house where there was not one dead. And
he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise
up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye

106 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

and the children of Israel: and go, serve the Lord, a&
ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as
ye have said, and be gone: and bless me also. And
the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they
might send them out of the land in haste; for they
said, We be all dead men." — Ex., xii, 28 — 33.

It is further said: "And it shall be when thy son ask-
eth thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou
shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought
us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage ; and it
came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that
the Lord slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt,
both the first-born of man, and the first-born of beasts;
therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the
matrix, being males; but all the first-born of my chil-
dren I redeem." — Ex., xiii, 14, 15.

From the above quotations, amongst other important
matters, it appears, that when the destroying angel passed
by the houses of the children of Israel he found the
blood of a lamb sprinkled on the door post; which was
a type of the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God. The
angel who was the executor of justice could not touch
those who were protected by that sacred symbol; because
that prefigured the sacrifice of the Son of God, which
was provided at the beginning of creation for the
redemption of the human family, and which was strictly
in accordance with provisions then made by the
Almighty for that purpose — "the Lamb slain from
before the foundation of the world " — and accepted in
full as an atonement for the transgressions of mankind,
according to the requirements of ' eternal justice and
agreed to by the Savior and His Father. A proposition
is made to meet the requirements of justice, which pro-
posal is accepted by the contracting parties, all these
contracting parties being satisfied with the arrangement
thus made. Hence it is said by one of the prophets:
"Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him
from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom."
—Job. xxxiii, 24.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. -107

And further: "Therefore the redeemed of the Lord
shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and
everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall
obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall
flee away." — Isaiah, li, 11.

Who are the redeemed, except those who have
accepted the terms of the ransom thus provided? The
ransom being provided and accepted, the requirements of
justice are met, for those contracts are provided and
sanctioned by the highest contracting parties that can be
found in the heavens, and the strongest, most indubita-
ble and infinite assurances are given for the fulfilment
of that contract, and until the contract is fulfilled the
sacrifices are offered as a token and remembrance of
the engagements and covenants centered into. God gave
a token to Noah, of a rainbow, which should be a sign
between Him and mankind that He would nevermore
destroy the earth by water; He accepted these sacrifices
as a token of the covenant that the Messiah should
come to take away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and
thus fulfil the covenant, pertaining to this matter, made /
before the world was.

And again there was another token, which was
given to Adam by an angel. This holy messenger said
to our great father, "Thou shalt do all that thou doest
in the name of the Son. And thou shalt repent, and
call upon God, in the name of the Son for evermore."
(Pearl of Great Price.) For, as expressed in the New
Testament, " there is none other name under heaven
given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts
iv, 12.) Or, to quote from the Book of Mormon,
"There shall be no other name given, nor any other
way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the
children of men, only in and through the name of
Christ, the Lord Omnipotent." And furthermore, that
name, or token, will continue to be given until the
Scripture is fulfilled which saith: "Wherefore God also
hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which
is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every

108 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things ii
earth, and things under the earth; and that ever
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to th<
glory of God the Father."— Phil., ii, 9—11.

Again, the Lord, through the sprinkling of th<
blood of a lamb on the door-posts of the Israelites
having saved the lives of all the first-born of Israel
made a claim upon them for their services in Hi:
•cause. It is written:

"And I, behold, 1 have taken the Levites fron
among the children of Israel instead of all the first-borr
that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel
therefore the Levites shall be mine; because all th*
first-born are mine; for on the day that I smote all
the first-born in the ■ -land of Egypt I hallowed untc
V^ me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast
<=>5 mine they shall be: I am the Lord."— Num., iii, 12, 13.
5j But the first-born of the Egyptians, for whom nc

c^ lamb as a token of the propitiation was offered, were
^ destroyed. It was through the propitiation and atone-
ment alone that the Israelites were saved, and, under
the circumstances they must have perished with the
Egyptians, who were doomed, had it not been for the
contemplated atonement and propitiation of Christ, of
which this was a figure.

Hence the Lord claimed those that He saved
righteously belonging to Him, and claiming them as His
He demanded their services; but afterwards, as shown
in the above quotation, He accepted the tribe of Levi
in lieu of the first-born of Israel; and as there were
more of the first-born than there were of the Levites,'
the balance had to be redeemed with money, which was
given to Aaron, as the great High Priest and represen-
tative of the Aaronic Priesthood, he being also a Levite.
(See Numbers, iii, 50, 51.)

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. lOd-

CHAPTER XIV.

History of Sacrifices aud the Law of Moses among the Nephites —
References to the Books of Nephi, Jacob, Mosiah and Alma — The
Testimony of Jesus regarding the Law of Moses.

From the Bible we turn to the Book of Mormon,
with a view to discover to what extent the law of sac-
rifice, as a type of the offering up of the promised
Messiah, was observed among that branch of the house
of Israel which God planted on this continent. In
perusing the pages of this sacred record, we shall find
several important facts and ideas, in connection with
this subject, presented very prominently by the ancient
Nephite historians: among them —

First, that the law of Moses, with all its rites,
ordinances, and sacrifices, was strictly observed by the
faithful Nephites from the time of their arrival on the
promised land, until it was fulfilled in Christ, and by
his command ceased to be observed. •

Second, that when the Nephites brought any of the
Lamanites to the knowledge and worship of the true
God, they taught them to observe this law.

Third, that those who apostatized from the Nephites,
as a general thing, ceased to observe this law.

Fourth, that the true import of the law of Moses,
and of its ceremonies and sacrifices, as typical of the
atonement yet to be made by our Lord and Savior, was
thoroughly taught by the Priesthood among that peo-
ple, and very generally understood by them.

Fifth, that associated with the observance of this
law, there were continued admonitions given that salva-
tion was in Christ and not in the law, which was but
the shadow and type • of that of which he was the pro-
totype and reality.

Sixth, that temples were erected of the same pattern

110 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

as that of Solomon at Jerusalem, evidently for the rea-
son that they were to be used for the same purposes.

Seventh, that the Gospel was preached m connection
with the law, and churches were established and organ-
ized according to the Gospel requirements, and that the
higher Priesthood, although not fully organized in all
its parts, ministered to the Nephites as well as the
lesser.

Eighth, it appears indubitable from the two records,
the Bible and the Book of Mormon, that the intent
and true meaning of the law of Moses, of its sacrifices,
etc., were far better understood and comprehended by
the Nephites than by the Jews. But in this connection,
it must not be forgotten, that' a great many most plain
and precious things, as the Book of Mormon states,
have been taken from the Bible, through the ignor-
ance of uninspired translators or the design and cun-
ning of wicked men.

As might naturally be expected, we find that Lehi,
like his forefathers of the Mosaic age, offered sacrifices
to the Lord during his journeyings in the wilderness.
These sacrifices were occasions of thanksgiving ' and
praise to God. As examples, we note the occasion of
the safe return of Lehi's sons from Jerusalem with the
records, when, we are told by Nephi, their parents "did
rejoice exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt
offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the
God of Israel. And after they had given thanks unto
the God of Israel, my father, Lehi, took the records
which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and he
did search them from the beginning. — 1 Nephi, v, 9, 10.

Another occasion was when Nephi and his brethren
again returned from the Holy City, bringing with them
Ishmael and his family. Of this Nephi writes: "After
I and my brethren, and all the house of Ishmael, had
come down unto the tent of my father, they did give
thanks unto the Lord their God; and they did offer
sacrifice and burnt offerings unto him " — 1 Nephi, vii, 22.

After the arrival of the colony on the promised

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. Ill

land and the death of Lehi, his sons and their families
divided into two communities, or nationalities; the one
righteous and Godfearing, the other rebellious and
debased. Owing to the contentious and quarrelsome dis-
position of the latter, who recognized Laman, Lehi's eld-
est son, as their head, the portion who sought to serve
the Lord, for the sake of peace and security moved
some distance to the northward. Nephi was their leader,
and of them he records:

"And all those who were with me, did take upon
them to call themselves the people of Nephi. And we
did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes,
and the commandments of the Lord in all things,
according to the law of Moses. And the Lord was with
us : and we did prosper exceedingly." — 2 Nephi, v,
9—11.

One of the first things that the Nephites did on their
arrival at their new home was to build a temple. They
could not keep the judgments, the commandments, and
the statutes of the Lord in all things, according to the
law of Moses, unless they did so; and necessarily it
was fashioned after the one at Jerusalem, for it was to
be used for the same purposes; in it the same ordi-
nances were to be performed, the same sacrifices were
to be offered. Nephi writes:*

"And I, Nephi, did build a temple: and I dia
construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon,
save it were not built of so many precious things; for
they were not to be found upon the land; wherefore,
it could not be built like unto Solomon's temple. But
the manner of the construction was like unto the tem-
ple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceed-
ing fine."— 2 Nephi, v, 16.

Thus the fulfilling of the Divine commandments
was provided for; a place was erected where the law ot
Moses could be carried out, and the sacrifices be offered
which formed so important, a part of that code.

The Nephites were not left by their Priesthood in
ignorance of the intent and symbolism of these ceremo-

112 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

nies. They were not unmeaning, burdensome, spiritless
performances to them. Nephi and his successors were
particularly careful in explaining that these ordinances,
like all other rites of the Church of God, had their
value in their association with or being' directly typical
of the great, infinite sacrifice of atonement to be offered
up by the Lamb of God in His own person. Nephi
informs us :

"Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my
people the truth of the coming of Christ: for, for this
end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things
which have been given of God from the beginning of
the world, unto man, are the typifying of him." — 2.
Nephi, xi, 4.

And a little later he writes:

"And notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep-
the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness
unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled; for, for
this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath;
become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ,
because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of
the commandments; and we talk of Christ, we rejoice
in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ,
and we write according to our prophecies, that our chil-
dren may know to what source they may look for a
remission of their sins. Wherefore, we speak concerning
the law, that our children may know the deadness of
the law; and they, by knowing the deadness of the law,,
may look forward to the life which is in Christ, and
know for what end the law was given. And after the-
law is fulfilled in Christ, that they need not harden
their hearts against him, when the law ought to be-
done away." — 2 Nephi, xxv, 24 — 27.

Which agrees with the statement of Paul: "Where-
fore the law was our schoolmaster, to bring us unto-
Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

So firm a foundation having been laid for the faith
of the Nephite people, we find that in every period of
their history they retained their reverence for the law

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 113

of Moses, though disputations sometimes arose, by reason
of iniquity, with regard to its symbolism or its saving
quality. The apostates, who separated themselves from the
Church, occasionally fell into the grievous error ef exalt-
ing the law above the Gospel, and, whilst maintaining
its divine origin, they ignored its typical value and
denied that it was a preparatory system leading to a
higher, holier and more perfect law; they refused to
recognize it as a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ.
The first of these apostacies occurred in the days of
Jacob, the brother of Nephi. With regard to the people
in general, he writes:

" Behold, they believed in Christ and worshipped
the Father in his name, and also we worship the
Father in his "name. And for this intent we keep the
law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for
this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even
as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness, to
be obedient unto the commandments of God in offering
up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his
only begotten Son/' — Jacob, iv, 5.

But while the majority of the Nephites fully recog-
nized these saving truths, there arose a man named
Sherem, who disputed and denied that the law pointed
the souls of men to Christ, as the great Propitiator for
sin and the Redeemer of the world.

This Sherem declared unto the people that there
should be no Christ, and his flatteries and sophistries
led away many people. Of him and his doings Jacob
writes:

"And it came to pass that he came unto me; and
on this wise did he speak unto me, saying: Brother
Jacob, I have sought much opportunity that I might
speak unto you: for I have heard and also know, that
thou goest about much, preaching that which you call
the gospel, or the doctrine of Christ; and ye have led
away much of this people, that they pervert the right
way of God, and keep not the law of Moses, which is
the right way: and convert the law of Moses into the

114 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

worship of a being, which ye say shall come many
hundred years hence. And now behold, I, Sherem,
declare unto you, that this is blasphemy; for no man
knoweth of such things; for he cannot tell of things
to come. And after this manner did Sherem contend
against me. But . behold, the Lord God poured in his
Spirit into my soul, insomuch that I did confound him
in all his words. And I said unto him, Deniest thou
the Christ who should come? And he said, If there
should be a Christ, I would not deny him; but I know
that there is no Christ, neither has been, nor ever will
be. And I said unto him, Believest thou the scriptures?
And he said, Yea. And I said unto him, Then ye do
not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ.
Behold, I say unto you, that none of the prophets
have written, nor prophesied, save they have .spoken
concerning this Christ. And this is not all: it has been
made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen;
and it also has been made manifest unto me by the
power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know, if there
should be no atonement made, all mankind must be
lost."— Jacob, vii, 6—12.

Somewhat similar was the argument that took place
between the martyr Abinadi and the apostate priests of
the iniquitous Noah, king of the land of Lehi-Nephi.
They officiated in the Temple, observed the outward forms
of the Mosaic law, but revelled in licentiousness, covet-
ousness, gluttony and all manner of iniquity. To them
was Abinadi sent to warn them and their king of the
results of their mutual wrong doing. In the account of
this mission of Abinadi we read that he said:

" Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding;
therefore, ye have not been wise. Therefore, What teach
ve this people? And they said, We teach the law of
Moses. And again he said unto them, If ye teach the
law of Moses why do ye not keep it? Why do ye set
your hearts upon riches? Why do ye commit whore-
doms and spend your strength with harlots, yea, and
oause this people to commit sin, that the Lord has

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 115

cause to send me to prophesy against this people, yea,
even a great evil against this people? Know ye not
that I speak the truth? Yea, ye know that I speak the
truth; and you ought to tremble before God. And it
shall come to pass that ye shall be smitten for your
iniquities: for ye have said that ye teach the law
of Moses. And what know ye concerning the law of
Moses? Does salvation come by the law of Moses?
What say ye? And they answered and said, that sal-
vation did come by the law of Moses. But now Abin-
adi said unto them, I know if ye keep the command-
ments of God ye shall be saved; yea, if ye keep the
commandments which the Lord delivered unto Moses in
the mount of Sinai." — Mos., xii, 27 — 33.

He then rehearsed to them the commandments; after
which he again inquired:

"Have ye taught this people that they should
observe to do all these things? for to keep these com-
mandments? I say unto you nay; for if ye had, the
Lord would not have caused me to come forth and to
prophesy evil concerning this people. And now ye have
said that salvation cometh by the law of Moses. I say
unto you that it is expedient that ye should keep the
law of Moses as yet ; but I say unto you, that the
time shall come when it shall no more be expedient to
keep the law of Moses. And moreover, I say unto you,
that salvation doth not come by the law alone; and
were it not for the atonement which God himself shall
make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that
they must unavoidably perish, notwithstanding the law
of Moses. And now I say unto you, that it was expe-
dient that there should be a law given to the children
of Israel, yea, even a very strict law; for they were a
stiff-necked people; quick to do iniquity, and slow to
remember the Lord their God; therefore there was a
law given them, yea, a law of performances and of
ordinances, a law which they were to observe strictly,
from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God,
and their duty towards him. But behold, I say unto

116 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

you, that all these things were types of things to come.
And now, did they understand the law? I say unto
you, Nay, they did not all understand the law; and
this because of the hardness of their hearts; for they
understood not that there could not any man be saved,
except it were through the redemption of God. For
behold, did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning
the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem
his people, yea, and even all the prophets who have
prophesied ever since the world began? Have they not
spoken more or less concerning these things?" — Mos.,
xiii, 25—33.

At this time the righteous Nephites in the land of
Zarahemla were keeping the law of Moses strictly, so
far as its outward ordinances were concerned, and under-
standing^ with regard to its symbolism and similitudes.
When the obedient Nephites were led out of the land
of Nephi by Mosiah, they found in the land, afterwards
called Zarahemla, a people who proved to be a branch
of the; house of Israel, but who, owing to the fact that
they had no records nor scriptures, had corrupted their
language, failed to observe the law of Moses, and had
so far fallen that they actually denied the existence of
God. Mosiah and the Nephites amalgamated with this
people, taught them their language, instructed them in
the worship of God and built a temple in that land,
which indeed they made their permanent home. Mosiah
had a son called Benjamin, who ruled in righteousness
all the days of his long life. Shortly before his death
he instructed his son Mosiah to gather the people to the
temple, that he might give them a charge and nominate
his successor. It is written:

"After Mosiah had done as his father had commanded
him, and had made a proclamation throughout all the
land, that the people gathered themselves together through-
out all the land, that they might go up to the temple to
hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto
them And there were a great number, even so many
that they did not number them; for they had multi-

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 117

plied exceedingly, and waxed great in the land. And'
they also took of the firstlings of their flocks, that they
might offer sacrifice and burnt offerings, according to the
law of Moses." — Mos., ii, 1 — 3.

Here we observe that the law in relation to sacri-
fices and burnt offerings was still faithfully observed,
although nearly five hundred years had passed since
Lehi left Jerusalem; for the colony which he led
started on their eventful journey six hundred years
before the birth of Christ, whilst this gathering took
place one hundred and twenty-five years before that
same most important appearing.

During the days that the Judges ruled the Nephites
the righteous portion of that people continued to observe
the requirements of this law. We will simply give two
quotations from the Book of Alma on this point, though
the references are numerous. The first is:

"Yea, and they did keep the law of Moses; for it
was expedient that they should keep the law of Moses
as yet, for it was not all fulfilled. But notwithstanding
the law of Moses, they did look forward to the coming
of Christ, considering that the law of Moses was a type
of his coming, and believing that they must keep those
outward performances, until the time that he should be
revealed unto them. Now they did not suppose that
salvation came by the law of Moses ; but the law of
Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ; and
thus they did retain a hope through faith, unto eternal
salvation, relying upon the spirit of prophecy, which
spake of those things to come." — Alma, xxv, 15, 16.

With this the words of Paul, when speaking on
this subject, precisely agree; "But before faith came, we
were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith, which
should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was
our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might
be justified by faith."— Gal., iii, 23, 24.

The second quotation is:

"Therefore it is expedient that there should be a
great and last sacrifice; and then shall there be, or it

118 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

is expedient that there should be, a stop to the shed-
ding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled;
yea, it shall be all fulfilled; every jot and tittle, and
none shall have passed away. And behold, th is— is__the
wh ole— meanin g of the law: every whit pointing to^that
great—and— last-saerifice-?— and— that—great- ancL lasL sacrifice
-will — beTlie - Son of~GodT~yea7~iTifi nite -€ind— eternal ."—
, Alrn^ xxxjj^lS^Xl

But some of those who apostatized from the Nephites
and organized churches of their own ceased to keep this
law. Such a sect were the Zoramites, of whom it is
written :

" Now the Zoramites were dissenters from the Ne-
phites; therefore they had the word of God preached
unto them. But they had fallen into great errors, for
they would not observe to keep the commandments of
God, and his statutes, according to the law of Moses;
neither would they observe the performances of the
church, to continue in prayer and supplication to God
daily, that they might not enter into temptation; yea,
in fine, they did pervert the ways of the Lord in very
many instances." — Alma, xxxi, 8 — 11.

Shortly after the appearance of the signs that betok-
ened the birth of the Savior at Bethlehem, there arose
a few among the Nephites who endeavored "to prove
by the Scriptures that it was no more expedient to
observe the law of Moses. Now in this thing they did
err, having not understood the Scriptures. But it came
to pass that they soon became converted, and were con-
vinced of the error which they were in, for it was
made known unto them that the law was not yet ful-
filled."— 3 Nephi, i, 24, 25.

After His resurrection, Jesus, in His ministrations in
the midst of the Nephites, perceiving that they won-
dered regarding the fulfilment of the law of Moses,
said unto the listening multitude, " Behold, I . say unto
you that the law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses.
Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who
covenanted with my people Israel; therefore the law in

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 119

me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; there-
fore it hath an end. Behold, I do not destroy the
prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me,
verily I say unto you, shall all be fulfilled. And because
I said unto you that old things hath passed away, I
do not destroy that which hath been spoken concerning
things which are to come. For behold, the covenant
which I have made with my people is not all fulfilled;
but the law which was given unto Moses hath an end
in me."— 3 Nephi, xv, 4 — 8. •

CHAPTER XV.

The Offering of Sacrifice .n the Times of the Restitution of all
Things — Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith thereoi — The Sons
ol bevi — Maiachi's Prophecy — The Dispensation of the Fulness of
Times.

It would appear that, when everything shall have
been accomplished pertaining or relating to the sacrifice
and atonement of the Son of God, in the time of
the restitution of all things the sons of Levi will offer
up an acceptable offering unto the Lord; what this
offering will be does not distinctly appear. There are
many things associated with the final salvation of man,
and the working out and accomplishment of the pur-
poses of God in relation to the human family, which
lie yet in the future: the peculiar position which the
children will occupy, also the position of the heathen
who have died without law, and of those who have
been translated, and who it would appear have a speci-
fied labor to perform associated with their mission to
the terrestrial worlds; the letting loose of Satan after

120 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

the thousand years, and many other things which it is
not permitted for us at the present time to comprehend
in lull. These will all be revealed in the due time of
the Lord. The Prophet Joseph makes the following state-
ment with regard to the offerings above referred to:

"Thus we behold the keys of this Priesthood con-
sisted in obtaining the voice of Jehovah, that He talked
with him [Noah] in a familiar and friendly manner,
that He continued to him the keys, the covenants, the
power and the glory with which He blessed Adam at the
beginning; and the offering of sacrifice, which also shal.
be continued at the last time; for all the ordinances and
duties that ever have been required by the Priesthood,
under the directions and commandments of the Almighty,
in any of the dispensations, shall all be had in the
last dispensation; therefore all things had under the
authority of the Priesthood at any former period, shall
be had again, bringing to pass the restoration spoken
of by the mouth of all the holy Prophets; then shall
the sons of Levi offer an acceptable sacrifice to the
Lord. See Malachi, iii, 3: 'And he shall sit as a
refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the
sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that
they may offer unto the Lord.' It will be necessary
here to make a few observations on the doctrine set
forth in the above quotation, as it is generaJJ^_su£posed

that sacrifice w as entirely do ne a way whe n the Gre at

^acrificewa s ofifered __up, _and thatTThere w i ll be no nec-
essity for the ordinance _^f_^cxifice^n_future; but those
who assert this are ^certainly not acquainted with the
duties, privileges^and autJK>rity__of__Jhe _J^ries^hood7" or

with Ihe Prophets. The offering of sacrifice has_ever

been connected with and_ forms a part of the duties of
the Priesthood. It began with the PriestFoob^ and~will be
continued until after the coming of Christ, from genera-
tion to generation. We frequently have mention made
of the offering of sacrifice by the servants of the Most
High in ancient days, prior to the law of Moses; which
ordinances will be continued when the Priesthood is

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 121

restored with all its authority, power and blessings.
Elijah was the last Prophet that held the keys of this
Priesthood, and who will, before the last dispensation,
restore the authority and deliver the keys of this Priest-
hood, in order that all the ordinances may be attended
to in righteousness. It is true that the Savior had
authority and power to bestow this blessing, but the
sons of Levi were too prejudiced. 'And I will send
Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day of
the Lord/ etc., etc. Why send Elijah? Because he holds
the keys of the authority to administer in all the ordi-
nances of the Priesthood, and without the authority is
given, the ordinances could not be administered in righ-
teousness. It is a very prevalent opinion that the sacri-
fices which were offered were entirely consumed. This
was not the case; if you read Leviticus, second chapter,
second and third verses, you will observe that the priest
took a part as a memorial and offered it up before the
Lord, while the remainder was kept for the maintenance
of the priests, so that the offerings and sacrifices are not
all consumed upon the altar, but the blood is sprinkled,
and the fat and certain other portions are consumed.
These sacrifices, as well as every ordinance belonging
to the Priesthood, will, when the Temple of the Lord
shall be built, and the sons of Levi be purified, be
fully restored and attended to in all their powers,
ramifications and blessings. This ever did and will
exist when the powers of the Melchizedek Priesthood
are sufficiently manifest, else how can the restitution of
all things spoken of by all the holy Prophets be brought
to pass? It is not to be understood that the law 'of
Moses will be established again with all its rites and
variety of ceremonies. This has never been spoken of
by the Prophets, but those things which existed prior
to Moses' day, namely, sacrifice, will be continued. It
may be asked by some, What necessity for sacrifice, X
since the Great Sacrifice was offered? In answer to
which, If repentance, baptism and faith existed prior to
the days of Christ, what necessity for them since that

122 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

time? The Priesthood has descended in a regular line
from father to son, through their succeeding generations.
See Book of Doctrine and Covenants." — History of Joseph
Smith, Deseret News, Vol IV., No 30.

The remarks of President Joseph Smith are very
plain and explicit, and are a strong confirmation of the
passage he himself refers to, pertaining to the times of
the restitution of all things; which will embrace all
systems, doctrines, ordinances, dispensations, and Priest-
hoods connected with the Church and Kingdom of God.
That there will be a full manifestation of all these-
things, relating to the various times and dispensations,
.s assured; yet, as Joseph Smith has very properly said,
the details of those rituals and observances cannot now
be fully defined. But as ancient Israel preserved in the
Ark of the Covenant memorials of God's power, good-
ness and mercy, manifested during the exodus from,
Egypt, in the two tables of stone and the pot of
manna; and of the recognition of the Aaronic Priest-
hood in Aaron's rod that budded; and as the sword of
Laban, the sacred plates already revealed, as well as-
numerous others yet to be made manifest, and a Urim
and Thummim were preserved on this continent; so will
there be an exhibition an evidence, a memorial, and.
an actual manifestation of matters pertaining to laws,
ordinances, ceremonies and dispensations, from the com-
mencement of the world to the present time, preserved"
and manifested in the dispensation that the Lord in.
His loving kindness has now inaugurated. This will be
in accordance with the eternal plans and purposes of
God, and with the rights, ceremonies and ordinances'
belonging to the Priesthoods of God in the different
ages, pertaining to the organization of this world, the
proposed mediation and atonement of the Son of God,
the manifestations and developments of the Melchizedek .
Priesthood, as the Prophet Joseph has referred to, as-
well relating to sacrifices in early days as in other
matters, the introduction of the Aaronic Priesthood,
together with the Ark and the Tabernacle, which, we

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 123

are told were made after the patterns shown unto Moses
in the mount — patterns which existed in the heavens;
the eternal existence, authority and power of both
Priesthoods as connected with God and administering in
time and eternity; the attempts of Satan to overthrow
the dynasty, power and authority of Jehovah and his
complete failure and discomfiture; exhibiting in a pan-
orama all the leading, prominent details of the creation,
atonement, redemption, salvation and exaltation of the
world and man, the organization of a new heaven
and a new earth, and all the purposes of God,
His plans and ordinances, manifested through the Priest-
hood from the first inception of the organization of the
world to the final consummation, purification and exal-
tation of the world and its inhabitants, according to
the foreknowledge and -determinate counsel of the Al-
mighty.

For as these memorials of the atonement were
used by the ancient Patriarchs and Prophets to manifest
to God their faith in the plan of redemption and in
the coming Redeemer; so will these great types be again
introduced as exhibiting the sacrifice of the great anti-
type, Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant, and as
a perpetual recognition of the eternal salvation and
exaltation wrought out by Him for the human family
by the sacrifice of Himself. (See also 3 Nephi, xv, 4 — 8,
previously quoted.)

124 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

CHAPTER XVI.

Brief Retrospect of the History of Sacrifice and its Symbolism — The
Passover and the Lord's Supper — Christ's Relation to both these
Ordinances— The Last Supper.

As before stated, these sacrifices, which were offered up
from the days of Adam until the time of our Savior's
advent, were typical of the great expiatory sacrifice which
He was to make by the sacrifice of Himself. They were
so many types, shadows and forms of which He was the
great prototype — the substance, the reality prefigured and
foreshadowed by the other sacrifices which had been offered
up from the beginning.

When the law was given by Moses, all the forms
pertaining to the sacrificial ceremonies were revealed in
detail, and the instructions in relation thereto were not
simply of a general nature, but they entered into minute
particulars in relation to all things connected with those
who officiated, the form and pattern of the sacred uten-
sils and of the vestments of the Priesthood, the creatures
to be sacrificed, the order of the proceedings, and indeed
of all matters associated with the observance of these
rites. Almost the whole of the book of Leviticus, and
considerable of the book of Numbers, is, occupied with
these instructions and kindred matters. This Mosaic law,
with all its duties, observances, ceremonies and sacrifices,
continued in force until Christ's death.

The time having come when the great atonement
should be made by the offering up of Himself, Christ
told Peter and John to go and prepare a place where
He might, according to His custom, eat the Passover with
His disciples. Eat what with His disciples? The Pass-
over. Was it the Passover, or the Sacrament of the
Lord's Supper? The Lord, in Egypt, passed by, or passed
over the houses of the Israelites whose door posts had

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 125

been sprinkled with the blood of the lamb sacrificed for
that purpose; and the Israelites were commanded to ob-
serve this Passover in all their generations. Jesus, in
compliance with this command, directed that a place be
made ready where He might eat the Passover with His
Apostles; for He, the great prototype, was going to offer
up Himself as a lamb without spot or blemish; not
only for the Israelites, but for all nations, for every
people, and kindred, and tongue under the face of the
whole heavens: "For God so loved the -world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For
God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him might be saved."

But previous to the offering up of Himself, as the
great expiatory sacrifice; having fulfilled the law and
made it honorable, and having introduced the Gospel, He
met with His disciples, as already noticed, to eat the
Passover. He then told them, "With desire I have
desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer.'
To eat what with you? The Passover. To eat what
With you? The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.
Thus He eat both, for the two ceremonies centered
in Him, He was the embodiment of both, He was
the Being, provided„_before„Jj^^ouiLd a tipn_jDf the earth,
and prophecied— of by men . .QfL_God throughout all
the preceding ages; and also on account of whom
the sacrifices were offered up by all the servants of the
Lord, from the fall of Adam to that time; and all the
various. -atonements.- heretofor&-„on r erecLpointed_to Him, for
whom they-^ere-all_mad£_and_ in who m they a ll ce ntered .
On the other hand. He it was who introduced the more
perfect law, and offering Himself once for all, an
infinite atonement, He. through this sacrifice, accomplished
that which was designed by the Almighty before the
world was^ and of which the blood of bullocks, of
goats and of lambs was merely the shadow.

In view of what was almost immediately to take
place, He instituted the sacrament of the Lord's Supper

126 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

in commemoration of this great crowning act of redemp-
tion. When at the table, "He took bread, and gave
thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This
is my body which is given for you: this do in remem-
brance of me;" afterwards, "He took the cup, and gave
thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it;
for this is my blood of the new testament which is
shed for many for the remission of sins."

In reality, this act of the atonement was the fulfil-
ment of the sacrifices, of the prophecying, of the Pass-
over, and of all the leading, prominent acts of the
Patriarchs and Prophets relating thereto; and having per-
formed this, the past and the future both centered in
Him. Did these worthies offer sacrifices? They prefigured
His appearing and atonement. Did they prophecy? It
was of Him, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of
prophecy. Did they keep the Passover? He Himself
was the great expiatory offering. Were the people called
upon afterwards to commemorate this event? They did
it in remembrance of Him, as a great memorial among
all of His disciples in all nations, throughout all time;
of the sacrifice of His broken body and spilt blood; the
antitype of the sacrificial lamb slain at the time of the
Passover; of Him; as being the Mediator, the Messiah,
the Christ, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and
the End: the Son of the living God.

As from the commencement of the world to the
time when the Passover was instituted, sacrifices had
been offered as a memorial or type of the sacrifice of
the Son of God; so from the time of the Passover until
that time when He came to offer up Himself, these
sacrifices and types and shadows had been carefully
observed by Prophets and Patriarchs; according to the
command given to Moses and other followers of the
Lord. So also did He Himself fulfil this requirement,
and kept the Passover as did others; and now we, after
the great sacrifice has been offered, partake of the
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in remembrance thereof.
Thus this act was the great connecting link between the

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 127

past and the future; thus He fulfilled the law, met the
demands of justice, and obeyed the requirements of His
Heavenly Father, although laboring under the weight
of the sins of the world, and the terrible expiation
which He had to make, when, sweating great drops of
blood, He cried: "Father, if it be possible let this cup
pass from me; nevertheless not my will but thine be
done," and when expiring in agony upon the cross He
cried, "It is finished," and gave up the ghost.

During this ever memorable supper, the Savior said
unto His disciples, "But I say unto you, I will not drink
henceforth of the fruit of the vine, until that day when
I drink it new with you in my Fath^'s kingdom." He
was the Lamb proposed to be slain from before the foun-
dation of the world ; He was the Lamb spoken of by
the Prophets in the different ages, and for which sacri-
fices were made; in Him was now fulfilled everything
that prefigured His approach, and that was prophesied of
Him pertaining to the atonement. He also was to burst
the barriers of the tomb, become the first fruits of those
that slept, and introduce the resurrection, and indeed to
be the Resurrection and the Life. He was also to ascend
to the heavens, resurrect His Saints, and after resurrect-
ing them, drink of the fruit of the vine with them in
His Father's kingdom. . Every knee should yet bow to
Him, and every tongue confess that He was the Christ
to the glory of God the Father. Every nation, kindred,
and tongue should bow to His sceptre, and the earth
through Him be filled with the knowledge of God, as
the waters cover the sea, the earth be redeemed and be-
come celestial, a new heaven and a new earth be insti-
tuted, wherein dwelleth righteousness, and the redemption
and resurrection of the living and the dead, according
to the eternal plan of Jehovah, should be brought about
through His mediation and atonement.

128 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

CHAPTER XVII.

The Atonement and the Resurrection — Adam and Christ — Why a Law
was given unto Adam — The Results of Disobedience to that Law —
Testimony of our First Parents— "Adam fell that Man might be"—
The Fall a Necessary Part of the Plan of Salvation— God's
Plan a Merciful Plan— The Plan of Lucifer— Man's Free Agency
The Chain Complete.

/ In the economy of God and the plan proposed by
the Almighty, it was provided that man was to be placed
under a law apparently simple in itself, yet the test of I
that law was fraught with the gravest consequences. The :
observance of that law would secure eternal life, and the
penalty for the violation of that law was death. For,
we are told, in Adam all die, and hence the declaration,
"It is appointed for man once to die." There is another
principle associated with this, which is, that the atone-
ment provided a means and plan whereby death could
be overcome, and the resurrection of the body from
death be brought about, for it is written, "As in Adam»
all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." Bufl
without this atonement the resurrection of the body could
not be brought about; hence Jesus, when on earth, pro-
claimed, "I am the Resurrection and the Life," and He
Himself "was the first fruits of them that slept."

Men could not have been tested without a law. The
penalty for the violation of that law was death. If the
law had not been broken, man would have lived; but
would man thus living have been capable of perpetuating
his species, and of thus fulfilling the designs of God in
preparing tabernacles for the spirits which had been cre-
ated in the spirit world ? And further, could they _have
had the need of a mediator, who was to act as a propitia-
tion for the violation of this law, which it would appear
from the circumstances was destined to be broken; or

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 12 l J

•

could the eternal increase and perpetuity of man have
been continued, and his high exaltation to the Godhead
been accomplished, without the propitiatory atonement and
sacrifice of the Son of God?

Jesus said, "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved
Christ to suffer" Could it have behooved Christ to suf-
fer if man had not sinned, and was it not part of the
eternal plan of God that man should violate that ' law,
that an atonement might be provided and had, and by
this means man be purified and perfected, through the
struggles and trials incident to his coming in contact with
the powers of darkness, and, through the mediation and
atonement of Jesus Christ, and his own obedience to the
requirements of the law associated therewith, be raised to a '
higher state of existence than it would have been possible
for him to have obtained without the transgression of
that law?

These points are made exceedingly plain in the Pearl
of Great Price. It is there stated:

"And Adam called upon the name of the Lord,
and Eve = also, his wife; and they heard the voice of
the Lord from the way towards the garden of Eden,
speaking unto them, and they saw him not; for they
were shut out from his presence. And he gave unto
them commandments, that they should worship the Lord
their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks,
for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient
unto the commandments of the Lord. And after many
days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying,
Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And
Adam said unto him, 1 know not, save the Lord com-
manded me. And then the angel spake, saying, This
thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only
Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and
truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in
the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call
upon God in the name of the Son for evermore. And in
that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth
record of the Father /and the Son, saying, I am the Only

130 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and
for ever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed ;
and all mankind, even as many as will. And in that
day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to
prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying,
Blessed be the name of God, for because of my trans -
gression my eyes are opene d, and in this life I shal l
have j oy, and again in the flesh I shall see God. And
Eve, His wife, heard all these things and was glad,
saying, Were it not for our transgression we never should
have had seed, and never should have known good and
evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life
which God giveth unto all the obedient. And Adam
and Eve blessed the name of God ; and they made all
thi ngs ^ known unto their sons and their daughters."

Thus we find: Firstly. That Adam and Eve both con-
sidered that they had gained, instead of suffered loss,
through their disobedience to that law; for they made the
statement, that if it had not been for their transgression,
they never would "have known good and evil." And again,
they would have been incapable of increase ; and with-
out that increase the designs of God in relation to the
formation of the earth and man could not have been
accomplished; for one great object of the creation of the
world was the propagation of the human species, that
bodies might be prepared for those spirits who already
existed, and who, when they saw the earth formed,
shouted for joy.

Secon dly. By pursuing the course they did, through
the atonement, they would see God as they had done
before ; and furthermore, they would be capable of
exaltation, which was made possible only through
their fall, and the atonement of Jesus Christ; and
also, they might have the comforting influence of
the Spirit of God. and His guidance and direction
here, as well as eternal lives and exaltations in the

world to come, i

l

Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans, also writes very
directly upon these truths; he says:

•THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 131

"Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over them that had not sinned after the similitude
of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that
was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free
gift. For if, through the offence of one many be dead,
much more' the grace of God, and the gift by grace,
which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded
unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so
is the gift; for the judgment was by one to condemna-
tion, but the free gift is of many offences unto justifica-
tion. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one;
much more they which receive abundance of grace and
of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one
Jesus Christ. Therefore, as by the offence of one judg-~
ment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by
the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men
unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobe-
dience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of
one shall many be made righteous. Moreover, the law
entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin
hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord."
— Romans, v., 14 — 21.

Whilst in the Book of Mormon Lehi teaches:
"And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed, he
would not have fallen; but he would have remained in
the garden of Eden. And all things which were created,
must have remained in the same state which they were,
after they were created; and they must have remained
for ever, and had no end. And they would have had
no children; wherefore, they would have remained in a
state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no
misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But be-
hold, all things have been done in the wisdom of Him
who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might he])
and men are, that they might have joy. And the Messiah
cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the
children of men from the fall. And because that they

132 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

are redeemed from the fall, they have become free for
ever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves, and
not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of
the law at the great and last day, according to the com-
mandments which God hath given. Wherefore, men are
free according to the flesh; and all things are given
them which are expedient unto man. And they are free
to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great me-
diation of all men, or to choose captivity and death,
according to the captivity and power of the devil; for
he seeketh that all men might be miserable, like unto
himself."— 2 Nephi, ii } 22—27.

In the same book it is written:

"Yea, I know that ye know, that in the body he
shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence
we came; for it is expedient that it should be among
them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth
himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die
for all men, that all men might become subject unto
him. For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil
the merciful plan of the grea't Creator, there must needs
be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must
needs 'come unto man by reason of the fall; and the
fall came by reason of transgression; and because man
became fallen, they were cut off from the presence of
the Lord. Wherefore -it must .needs be an infinite
atonement. Save it should be an infinite atonement, thi<T
corruption- could not put on incorruption. Wherefore,
the first judgment which came upon man must needs have
remained "to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh
must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its
mother earth, to rise no more. the wisdom of God!
his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should
rise no more, our spirits must become subject to that
angel who fell from before the presence of the eternal
God, and became the devil, to rise no more." — 2 Nephi,
ix, 5—8.

There is a principle developed in the above quotation
to the effect that death was "passed upon all men to

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 133

:ulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator;"! and further- .
more, that the resurrection came "by reason of the fall." (
For if man had not smned. there would have been no
death, and if Jesus had not atoned for the sin, there
would have been no resurrection \ Hence these things '
are spoken of as being according to the merciful plan
of God. This corruption could not have put on in-
corruption, and this mortality could not have put on
immortality, for, as we have elsewhere shown, man by
reason of any thing that he himself could do or accom-
plish, could only exalt himself to the dignity and
capability of man and therefore it needed the atone-
ment of a God, before man. through the adoption,
could be exalted to the Godhead.

Again, if the body could not have been res-
urrected, it wouid have had to 'crumble to its mother
earth," and remain in that condition without the capa-
bility of ascending to the Godhead: and furthermore^
not only would our bodies have lost their entity, their
life and power, but the spirit also would have been
placed in a state of subjection "to that angel who fell
from before the presence of the eternal God, and became
the devil," without a capability or even hope of life,
salvation and exaltation, and would have been deprived
of all free agency and power, and subject to the influences,
dominion and eternal destruction of Lucifer, the enemy
of man and of God. Hence, on this ground, and because
of the terrible effects which would have resulted to
humanity from the proposed plan to deprive man of
his free agency, and in seeking to do away with the
atonement. Lucifer was cast out of heaven, as were also
those associated with him in the same diabolical plans
and purposes.

The testimony of the Book of Doctrine and Cove-
nants is in full accord with the revelations in the ancient
scriptures. In it we are instructed that God "created
man, male and female, after his own image and in his
own likeness created he them, and gave unto them com-
mandments that they should love and serve him, the

134 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

only living and true Gpd, and that he should be the
only being whom they should worship. But by the
transgression of these holy laws, man became sensual and
devilish,. and .became fallen man. Wherefore the ..Almighty
God gave his- Only Begotten Son, as it is written in
those scriptures which have been given of him. He suf-
fered . temptations, but gave no heed unto them; he was
crucified, died, and rose again the third day; and ascen-
ded into heaven, to sit down on the right hand of the
father, to reign with almighty power according to the
will of the Father." — Doc. and Cov., sec. xx, 18 — 24, |
p. 123.

Again, we read from the same source:

"Behold, I gave unto him that he should be an agent
unto himself; and I gave unto him commandment, but
no temporal commandment gave I unto him } for my
commandments are spiritual, they are not natural nor
temporal, neither carnal nor sensual." — Doc. and Cov.,
sec. xxix, 35, p. 146.

"Wherefore, it came to pass that the devil tempted
Adam, and he partook the forbidden fruit and trans-
gressed the commandment, wherein he became subject to
the will of the devil, because he yielded unto tempta-
tion. Whe ':ore, I the Lord God caused that he should
be cast out from the garden of Eden, from my pres-
ence, because of his transgression, wherein he became
spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same
death, which is the last death, which is spiritual, which
shall be pronounced upon the wicked when I shall
say, Depart, ye cursed. But, behold, I say unto you,
that I the Lord God gave unto Adam and to his seed
that they should not die as to the temporal death, until
I the Lord God should send forth angels to declare
unto them repentance and redemption, through faith on
the name of mine Only Begotten Son. And thus
did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his
probation; that by his natural death he might be raised
in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would
believe." — Doc. and Cov., xxix, 40 — 13.. p. 147.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 135

hi accordance with this we find it written in the
Pearl of Great Price, that the Lord did send an angel
to Adam (as elsewhere quoted), who taught unto him
the Gospel.

Thus it would appear that if any of the links of this
great chain had been broken, it would have interfered
with _the comprehensive plan of the Almighty pertaining
to the salvation and eternal exaltation of those spirits
who were His sons, and for whom principally the world
was made; that they through submission to the require-
ments of the eternal principle and law governing these
matters might possess bodies, and these bodies united
with the spirits might become living souls, and being
the sons of God. and made in the image of God. they,
through the atonement might be exalted by obedience
to the law of the Gospel; to the Godhead.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Christ as the Son of God— A Comparison between His Position Glory,
etc.. and Those o! other Sons of God — His Recognition by the
Father— Christ called the Very Eternai Father.

It may here be asked. What difference is there
between the Son of God. as the Son of God, the Re-
deemer, and those who believe in Him and partake of
the blessings of the Gospel?

One thing, as we read, is that the Father gave
Him power to have life in Himself: "For as the Father
hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to
have life in himself;" and further, He had power,
when all mankind had lost their life, to restore life

136 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

to them again; and hence He is the Resurrection and
the Life, which p ower no other man possesses.

ler distinction is, that having this lite m Him-'
self, He had power, as He said, to lay down His life
and to take it up again, which power was also given
Him by the Father. This is also a power which no
j ther being associated with this earth possesses.
r~^%g&kr, He isThe brightness ol His Fa tKerV glory
I and the express image of His person. Also, He doeth
what He seeth the Father do, while we only do that
which we are permitted ' and empowered to do by Him.
He is the Elect, the Chosen, and one of the Presi-
dency in the heavens, and in Him dwells all the ful-
ness of the Godhead bodily, which could not be said of
us in any of these particulars.
f*~ Another thing is, that all power is given to Him

I in heaven and upon earth, which no earthly being could
(Jsav^
^ — It is also stated that Lucifer was before Adam; so
was Jesus. And Adam, as well as all other believers,
was commanded to do all that he did in the name of
the Son, and to call upon God in His name for ever
more; which honor was not applicable to any earthly
being.

He, in the nearness of His relationship to the
Father, seems to occupy a position that no other person
occupies. He is spoken of as His well beloved Son, as
the Only Begotten of the Father — does not this mean
the only begotten after the flesh? it He was the first
born and obedient to the laws of His Father, did He
not inherit the position by right to be the represent a-
tive ~of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world?
(A_nd was it not His peculiar right and privilege as the
firstborn, the legitimate heir of God, the Eternal Father,
to step forth, accomplish and carry out the designs of
His Heavenly Father pertaining to the redemption, salva-
tion and exaltation of man? And being Himself with-
out sin (which no other mortal was), He took the posi-
tion of Savior and Redeemer, which by right belonged

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

137

to Him as the first born. And does it not seem that
in having a body specially prepared, and being the off
spring of God, both in body and spirit, He stood pre-
eminently in the position of the Son of God, or in the
place of God, an cU was God, a nd was thus_ the_iit and
o nly perso nage capa ble of making a n infi nite atonement?
Hence we read:-

at/

ff (k.

L

^-Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he
saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a
body hast thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and
sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said
I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written
of me) to do thy will, God. Above, when he said;
Sacrifice and offering and burnt-offerings and offering
for sin thou wouldst not, neither hadst pleasure therein;
which are offered by the law; then said he, Lo, I come
to do thy will, God He taketh away the first, that
he may establish the second." — Heb., x, 5 — 9.

We are told, in the Pearl of Great Price, that
when Satan proposed a plan of his own, promising^to
redeem every soul of man, but wherein the free agency
of man would be destroyed, and said, "Wherefore give
me thine honor," the Only Begotten said, " Father, thy
will be done, and the glory be thine for ever " "I
am prepared to carry out thy plan." The Apostle above .^,0
quoted states, "A body hast thou prepared me/" * r""V^--
Then said I, Lo, I come to do thy will, Lord."
Hence from the above we learn that though others
might be the sons of God through Him, yet it needed
His body, His fulfilment of the law, the sacrifice or
offering up of that body in the atonement, before any
of these others, who were also sons of God by birth in
the spirit world, could attain to the position of sons of
God as He was; and that only through His mediation
and atonement. So that in Him, and of Him, and
through Him, through the principle of adoption, could
we alone obtain that position which is spoken of by
John: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it
doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know

]38 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for j
we shall see him as he is." T hus His atonem ent made
it possible for us to obtain an e xaltation. ~wKich "w e
could not h&yj L- possess^^ithou TTt

"His name shall be called Immanuel," which being
interpreted is, God with us. Hence He is not only
called the Son of God, the First Begotten of the
Father, the Well Beloved, the Head, and Ruler, and
Dictator of all things, Jehovah, the I Am, the Alpha
and Omega, but He is also called the Very Eternal
Father. -Does not this mean that in Him were the
attributes and power of the Very Eternal Father? For
the angel to Adam said that all things should be done
in His name. A voice was heard from the heavens, when
Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, saying, "This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;" and
when the Father and the Son appeared together to
the Prophet Joseph Smith they were exactly alike in
form, in appearance, in glory; and the Father said, point-
ing to His Son, "This is my beloved Son; hear Him."
There the Father had His apparent tabernacle, and the-
Son had His apparent tabernacle; but the Son was the-
agency through which the Father would communicate to
man; as it is elsewhere said, "Wherefore, thou shalt do
all that thou doest in the name of the Son. And thou,
shalt repent, and shalt call upon God, in the name o£
the Son, for evermore."

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 139

CHAPTER XIX.

Man as Man -His Excellency and His Limitations— Salvation and Eter-
nal Progression Impossible without the Atonement— In Christ only
can All be made Alive.

Man, as man, can only make use of the powers
which are possessed by man. Made, indeed, as repre-
sented in the Scriptures, in the image of God, as mon-
arch of the universe he stands erect on the earth in
the likeness of his Great Creator; beautifully constructed
in all his* parts, with a body possessing all the func-
tions necessary for the wants of humanity; standing, not
only by right, but by adaptability, beauty, symmetry and
glory, at the head of all creation; possessing also mental
powers and the capacity of reflecting upon the past, with
capabilities to reason upon cause and effect, and by
the inductive powers of his mind, through the inspira-
tion of the Almighty, to comprehend the magnificent
laws of nature as exhibited in the works of creation;
with the capacity also of using the elements and forces
of nature, and of adapting them to his own special
benefit; and by his powers penetrating into the deep,
ascending into the heavens, rushing with mighty velocity
across the earth, making use of the separate or com-
bined forces of nature with which he is surrounded
and subjugating them to his will; as, likewise, by his
intelligence, he has dominion over the fishes of the sea,
over the fowls of the air, and over the cattle. He can
girdle the earth with the electric fluid and convey his
thoughts to any land or zone; by the same subtle influ-
ence he can talk with his fellows, and be heard when
hundreds of miles apart. He can apply the forces of
earth, air, fire and water to make them subservient to
his will, and stands proudly erect as the head of all
creation and the representative of God upon the earth.

140 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

But while he occupies this exalted position, and is in
the image of God, yet he possesses simply, as a man,
only the powers which belong to man; and is subject
to weakness, infirmity, disease and death. And when
he dies, without some superior aid pertaining to the
future, that noble structure lies silent and helpless, its
organs, that heretofore were active, lively and energetic,
are now dormant, inactive and powerless. And what of
the mind, that before went back into eternity and
reached forward into eternity? And what of its powers?
Or what of that spirit, which, with its Godlike energies,
its prescience' and power, could grasp infinity? What of
it, and where is it? The Scriptures say that the body
returns to the dust and the spirit returns to God who
gave it. But what of its powers as made known to us,
what of the hereafter? The philosophy of the world
tells us that the spirit dies with the body, and like it
is dissipated in surrounding nature, but as an entirety
no longer exists; and all the power the being ever had
was to propagate its own species and to impart the
powers' of the body and the mind to its posterity. Such
philosophers can comprehend nothing pertaining to the
future — no glory, no exaltation, no eternal progression,
only' as developed by a succession of manhood. If, then,
there is a spirit in man which reaches into futurity,
that would grasp eternal . progress,- eternal enjoyments,
and eternal exaltations; then those glories, those exalta-
tions, those capabilities and those powers must be the
gift of some superior being, power, or authority to that
which exists in man; for the foregoing is a brief exhi-
bition of the powers and capabilities of humanity. It
is of this gift that we now speak. It is of a principle
that emanates from God, that originates with a superior
intelligence, whose plans, and powers, and capabilities
are exalted above those of mortal man, as the heavens
are above the earth, or as the majestic works of the
Great Creator throughout the infinitude of space are
superior to the puny efforts of the children of mor-
tality. It_ is for the exaltation of man to this state

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 141

of superior intelligence and Godhead that the media-
tiorT~and atonement of Jesus Christ is instituted; and
that noble being, man, made in the image of God, is
rendered capable not only of being a son of man,
but also a son of God, through adoption, and is ren-
dered capable of becoming a God, possessing the power,
the majesty, the exaltation and the position of a God.
As it is written, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God;
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we
know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him;
for we shall see him as he is."

As a man through the powers of his body he could
attain to the dignity and completeness of manhood, but
could go no further; as a man he is born, as a man
he lives, and as a man he dies; but through the essence
and power of the Godhead, which is in him, whi^
descended to him as the gift of God from his heav-
enly Father, he is capable of rising from the contracted
limits of manhood to the dignity of a God, and thus
through the atonement of Jesus Christ and the adoption
he is capable of eternal exaltation, eternal lives and
eternal progression. But this transition from his man-
hood to the Godhead can alone be made through a
power which is superior to man — an infinite power, an
eternal power, even the power of the Godhead: for as
in_ ^Adam all die, so i n____Chn > t ™ h j ran— n il fin — r rnrrTp ' /
ali ve. Through" Hirn __rnaiikind — are— brought — into — gohfA— '
munion and communication with God; through His /
atonement they are enabled, as He was, to vanquish h|
death; through that atonement and the power of the |^-
Priesthood associated therewith, they become heirs of God l
and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, and inheritors "Of j
thrones, powers, principalities and dominions_in_the_eter-
nal worlds. And instead of being subject to death,
when that" last enemy shall be destroyed, and death be ^d.
.swallowed up in victory, through that atonement they
can become the fathers and mothers of lives, and be
capable of perpetual and eternal progression.

142 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

CHAPTER XX.

Christ to be Subject to Man — His Descent Below all Things — Man's
Condition had there been no Atonement — The Sons of God — Man's
Inability to Save Himself — Christ's Glory before the World Was —
Necessity for an Infinite Atonement — The Father and Son have
Life in Themselves.

Again we will return to the quotation from the
Book of Mormon.* Satan, as we have remarked before,
wanted to deprive man of his agency, for if man had
his agency, it would seem that necessarily the Lord
would be subject to him; as is stated, "For it behoov-
eth the Great Creator that he suffereth himself to
become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all
men, that all men might become subject unto him."

The Lord being thus subjected to man, He would
be placed in the lowest position to which it was possi-
ble for Him to descend: because of the weakness, the
corruption and the fallibility of human nature. yBut if
man had his free agency, this necessarily would be the
result, and hence, as it is said, Jesus __ descejided — below
all thin gs that He might __Jjfi— -jaisejL- aho yp a lL things;
and hence also, while Satan's calculation was to deprive
man of his free agency, and to prevent himself or the
Only Begotten from being subject to this humiliation
and infamy, the Lord's plan was to give man his free
agency, provide a redeemer/and - " su ffer- thai; redeemer to
endure all the results incidental to such a pdiitionT^and
~~tfaH s7 by offering ■ himself — as— ft— substitute— axiu f— cohquern¥g
death, Hell and tBe~~~grave, he would ultimately subju-
gate all things unto "himselfj"~aTTd at the same- time
"~TO gke~~rt-possib le^for-- man- to -obta in 'an^Zjexaltation___thal
he never could have had without his agency. It is
said,"~-as-~a4reaiiy--^taled7 ""For^beholdT if the flesh should

* 2 Nephi, ix, 5 — 7.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 143

rise no more, our spirits must become subject to tbat
angel who fell from before the presence of the eternal
God, and became the devil, to rise no more;" and hence
the plan of Satan it appears would have frustrated the
designs of the Almighty, and have deprived man of that
exaltation and glory which his Heavenly Father con-
templated. It is further . written :

"And our spirits must have become like unto him,
and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut
out from the presence of our God, and to remain with
the father of lies; in misery, like unto himself; yea, to
that being who beguiled our first parents; who trans-
formeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stir-
reth up the children of men unto secret combinations of
murder, and all manner of secret works of darkness.
how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a
way for our escape from the grasp of this awful mon-
ster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call
the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.
And because of the way of deliverance of our God,
the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have
spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead;
which death is the grave. And this death of which I
have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver
up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore,
death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell
must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave
must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and
the spirits of men will be restored one to the other;
and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy
One of Israel. how great the plan of our God! For
on the other hand, the paradise of God must deliver
up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver
up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the
body is restored to itself again, and all men become
incorruptible and immortal, and they are living souls,
having a perfect knowledge, like unto us in the flesh
save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect; where-
fore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt;

144 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righ-
teous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment,
and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea,
even with the robe of righteousness. And it shall come
to pass, that when all men shall have passed from this
first death unto life, insomuch as they have become
immortal, they must appear before the judgment seat of
the Holy One of Israel; and then cometh the judgment,
and then must they be judged according to the holy
judgment of God. And assuredly, as the Lord liveth,
for the Lord God hath spoken it, and it is his eternal
word, which cannot pass away, that they who are
righteous, shall be righteous still, and they who are
filthy, shall be filthy still; wherefore, they who are
filthy, are the devil and his angels; and they shall go
away into everlasting fire, prepared for them; and their
torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame
ascendeth up for ever and ever, and has no end.
the greatness and the justice of our God! For he exe-
cute Ai all his words, and they have gone forth out of
his mouth, and his law must be fulfilled." — 2. Nephi,
ix, 9—17.

In the economy of God pertaining to the salvation
of the human family, we are told in the Scriptures that it
was necessary that Christ should descend below all things,
that He might be raised above all things; as stated
above, He had to "become subject to man in the flesh "
It was further necessary that He should descend below
all things, in order that He might raise others above
all things; for if He could not raise Himself and be
exa'ted through those principles brought about by the
atonement, He could not raise others; He could not do
for others what He could not do for Himself, and hence
it was necessary for Him to descend below all things that
He might be raised above all things; and it was nec-
essary that those whom He proposed to save should
also descend below all things, that by and through the
same power that He obtained His exaltation, they also,
through His atonement, expiation and intercession, might

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 145

be raised to the same power with Him; and, as He was
the Son of God, that they might also be the adopted
sons of God; hence John says:

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it
doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know
that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for
we shall see him as he is." — 1 John,- iii, 2.

And by this power we shall overcome and sit down
on His throne, as Jesus overcame and sat down upon
the throne of His Father.

ffie are told in t he foregoing quotation from the
Book_ of_ Mbrmoji_tib^t^he__atiniemLe^_ must needs be
infinite.. .JWhy did it need an _infinite ato neme nt ? For
t he simple reason that a stream ca rL nev er, rise hi g her than
its — fan n tain; and man having assumed a fleshly body
and become of the earth earthy, and through the vio-
lation of a law having cut himself off from his association
with his Father, and become subject to death; in this
condition, as the mortal life of man was short, and in
and of himself he could have no hope of benefitting
himself, or redeeming himself from his fallen condition,
or of bringing himself back to the presence of his
Father, some superior agency was needed to elevate him
above his low and degraded position. This superior
agency was the Son of God, who had not, as man had,
violated a law of His Father, but was yet one with
His Father, possessing His glory, His power, His author-
ity, His dominion. As He, Himself, prayed :-

"And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine
own self, with the glory which I had with thee before
the world was." — John, xvii, 5.

A man, as a man, could arrive at all the dignfEyl
that a man was capable of obtaining or receiving; butl
it needed a God to raise him to the dignity of a GodJ
For this cause it is written, "Now are we the sons of
God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:
but we know that when he shall appear we shall be
like him." And how and why like Him? Because,
through the instrumentality of the atonement and the

10

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

adoption, it is made possible for us to become of the
family of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ; and
that as He, the potential instrument, through the one-
ness that existed between Him and His Father, by rea-
son of obedience to divine law, overcame death, hell
and the grave, and sat down upon His Father's throne,
so shall we be able to sit down with Him, even upon
His throne. Thus,-as~it-is~taught_in_;the Book of Mor-
mon,. -it must needs be- that there be an- infinite atone-
ment; and -hence of— Him,- and- by. Him, and through
Him, are all things; and- through -Him do we obtain
every blessing, power, right, immunity, salvation and ex-
altation. He is our God, -our Redeemer, our Savior, to
whom, with the Father and -the Holy Spirit, be eternal
- and everlasting— praises— worlds— with.ou.t_end-

Again, Jesus testifies of Himself:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is com-
ing, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice
of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For
as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to
the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him
authority to execute judgment also, because he is the
Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is com-
ing, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear
his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done
good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have
done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." — John,
v, 25—29.

It would seem from the above that the Son hath
life inherent in Himself, even as the Father hath life
in Himself, He having received this power from the
Father. Also, that He had power in Himself, as else-
where stated, to lay down this body, and also to take
it up- again; and in this respect He differed from
others. While man dies and lays down his body, he
has not power under any circumstance to raise it again,
only through the power of Jesus and His intercession
and atonement; for the Redeemer has proclaimed Him-
self to be the Resurrection and the Life; and it is by

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 147

this resurrective power which. He possesses, as the gift
of God through obedience to the will of the Father,
that the dead shall hear the voice of God and shall
live. Hence He not only becomes the first fruits of
those that slept, having conquered death Himself and
triumphed over it, but He also becomes the means of
the resurrection of all men from the dead. Hence He
says:

"Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay
down my life, that I might take it again. No man tak-
eth it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have
power to lay it down, and I have power to take it
again. This commandment have I received of my
Father."— John, x, 17, 18.

Thus, when He says He has power to lay down
His life and power to take it up again, He speaks of
a power never before exhibited among men upon this
earth ; and which power, indeed, does not belong to
man in and of himself.

148 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

CHAPTER XXI.

The Relation of the Atonement to Little Children — Jesus Assumes the
Responsibility of Man's Transgression, and Bears the Weight of his
Sins and Sufferings — The Inferior Creatures and Sacrifice — The Ter-
rors and Agonies of Christ's Passion and Death— The Tribulations,
Earthquakes, etc., when He gave up the Ghost— Universal Nature
Trembles — The Prophecies of Zenos and Enoch — The Testimony of
the Centurion — Heirship, and the Descent of Blessings and Curses.

The Redeemer Himself, when tabernacling in the
flesh, said to His disciples on the Eastern Continent,
"Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them
not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say
unto you, Whosoever bhall not receive the kingdom of
God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." —
Luke, xviii, 16, 17. And arter His 'crucifixion and res-
urrection He repeated this same admonition to His Ne-
phite disciples: "And again I say unto you, Ye must
repent, and be baptized in my name and become as a
little child, or ye can in no wise inherit the kingdom of
God."— 3 Nephi, xi 38

Without Adam's transgression those children could
not have existed; through the atonement they are placed
in a state of salvation without any act of their own.
These would embrace, according to the opinion of
statisticians, more than one-half of the human family,
who can attribute their salvation only to the media-
tion and atonement of the Savior. Thus, as stated else-
where, in some mysterious, incomprehensible way, Jesus
assumed the responsibility which naturally would have
devolved upon Adam; but which could only be accom-
plished through the mediation of Himself, and by tak-
ing upon Himself their sorrows, assuming their respon-
sibilities, and bearing their transgressions or sins. In a
manner to us incomprehensible and inexplicable, he bore

X

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 149

the weight of the sins of the whole world; not only of
Adam, but of his posterity; and in doing that, opened
the kingdom of heaven, not only to all believers and all
who obeyed the, law of God, 'but to more than one-half
of the human family who die before they come to years
of maturity, as well as to the heathen, who, having
died without law, will, through His mediation, be resur-
rected without law, and be judged without law, and
thus participate, according to their capacity, works and
worth, in the blessings of His atonement.

Again, there is another phase of this subject that
must not be forgotten. From the commencement of the
offering of sacrifices the inferior creature had to suffer
for the superior. Although it had taken no part in the
act of disobedience, yet was its blood shed and its life
sacrificed, thus prefiguring the atonement of the Son of
God, which should eventually take place. The creature
indeed was made subject to vanity not willingly, but by
reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope.
Millions of such offerings were made, and hecatombs of
these expiatory sacrifices were offered in view of the
great event that would be consummated when Jesus should
offer up Himself. With man this was simply the
obedience to a command and a given law, and with
him might be considered simply a pecuniary sacrifice:
with the animals it was a sacrifice of life. But what
is the reason for all this suffering and bloodshed, and
sacrifice? We are told that "without shedding of blood
is no remission" of sins. This is beyond our com-
prehension. Jesus had to take away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself, the just for the unjust, but, previous to this
-grand sacrifice, these animals had to have their blood
! shed as types, until the great antitype should offer
vup Himself once for all. And as He in His own person
bore the sins of all, and atoned for them by the
sacrifice of Himself, so there came upon Him the weight
and agony of ages and generations, the indescribable
agony consequent upon this great sacrificial atonement
wherein He bore the sins of the world, and suffered in

150 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

His own person the consequences of an eternal law of
God broken by man. Hence His profound grief, His
indescribable anguish, His overpowering torture, all ex-
perienced in the submission to the # eternal fiat of
Jehovah and the requirements of an inexorable law.

The suffering of the Son of God was not simply
the suffering of personal death; for in assuming the
position that He did in making an atonement for the
sins of the world He bore the weight, the responsibility,
and the burden of the sins of all men, which, to us, is
incomprehensible. As stated, "the Lord, your Redeemer,
suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffereth the
pains of all men;" and Isaiah says: "Surely he hath
borne our griefs and carried our sorrows," also, "The
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all," and
again, "He hath poured out his soul unto death, and
he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare
the sins of many;" or, as it is written in the Second
Book of Nephi: "For behold, he suffereth the pains of
all men; yea, the pains of every living creature, both
men, women and children, who belong to the family of
Adam;" whilst in Mosiah it is declared: "He shall
suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst and
fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be
unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore,
so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and
abominations of his people."

Groaning beneath this concentrated load, this intense,
incomprehensible pressure, this terrible exaction of Divine
justice, from which feeble humanity shrank, and through
the agony thus experienced sweating great drops of
blood, He was led to exclaim, "Father, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me." He had wrestled with the
superincumbent load in the wilderness, He had struggled
against the powers of darkness that had been let loose
upon him there; placed below all things, His mind
surcharged with agony and pain, lonely and apparently
helpless and forsaken, in his agony the blood oozed from
His pores. Thus rejected by His own, attacked by the

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 151

powers of darkness, and seemingly forsaken by His God,
on the cross He bowed beneath the accumulated load,,
and cried out in anguish, "My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me-! " When death approached to relieve
Him from His horrible position, a ray of hope appeared
through the abyss of darkness with which He had been
surrounded, and in a spasm of relief, seeing the bright
future beyond, He said, "It is finished! Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit." As a God, He descended
below all things, and made Himself subject to man in
man's fallen condition; as a man, He grappled with all
the circumstances incident to His sufferings in the world.
Anointed, indeed,, with the oil of gladness above His
fellows, He struggled with and overcame the powers of men
and devils, of earth and hell combined; and aided by
this superior power of the Godhead, He vanquished
death, hell and the grave, and arose triumphant as the
Son of God, the very eternal Father, the Messiah, the
Prince of peace, the Redeemer, the Savior of the world;
having finished and completed the work pertaining to
the atonement, which His Father had given Him to do
as the Son of God and the Son of man. As the Son
of Man, He endured all that it was possible for flesh
and blood to endure,- as the Son of God He triumphed
over all, and forever ascended to the right hand of God,
to further carry out the designs of Jehovah pertaining
to the world and to the human family.

' And again, not only did His agony affect the mind
and body of Jesus, causing Him to sweat great drops
of blood, but by reason of some principle, to us un-
fathomable, His suffering affected universal nature.

"World upon world, eternal things,
Hang on thy anguish, King of kings."

When he gave up the ghost, the solid rocks were
riven, the foundations of the earth trembled, earth-
quakes shook the continents and rent the isles of the
sea, a deep darkness overspread the sky, the mighty
waters overflowed their accustomed bounds, huge moun-
tains sank and valleys rose, the handiwork of feeble

152 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

men was overthrown, their cities were engulphed or
consumed by the vivid shafts of lightning, and all
material things were convulsed with the throes of seem-
ing dissolution. Thus was brought to pass that which
was spoken by the prophet Zenos: "The rocks of the
earth must rend ; and because of the groanings of the
earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall
be wrought upon by the Spirit of God to exclaim, The
God of nature suffers." [1 Nephi, xix, 12.] And it is
recorded, that so confessed the Centurion, and they that
were with him watching the body of Jesus. For when they
witnessed the earthquake, and the other things that were
done, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son
of God." So also was fulfilled that which is written in
the prophecy of Enoch:

"And the Lord said unto Enoch, Look ; and he
looked and beheld the Son of Man lifted up on the
cross, after the manner of men; and he heard a loud
voice ; and the heavens were veiled; and all the crea-
tions of God mourned; and the earth groaned; and the
rocks were rent; and the Saints arose, and were crowned
at the right hand of the Son of Man, with crowns of
gHory; and as many of the spirits as were in prison
came forth, and stood on the rightT hand of God; and
the remainder were reserved in chains of darkness Until
the judgment of the great day." — Pearl of Great Price.
' Thus, such was the torturing pressure of this in-
tense, this indescribable agony, that it burst forth abroad
beyond the confines of His body, convulsed all nature
and spread throughout all space.

The statement previously quoted, "The Lord hath
laid on him the iniquity of us all," could only be in
reference to the transgression of our first parent, who,
acting as the progenitor and head of the human family,
assumed a responsibility not only for himself, but for all
of his seed; for the whole of the human family not
having then been born, could not be responsible, person-
ally, for acts that transpired before they had an exist-
ence on the earth. But as children inherit blessings

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 153

from their fathers, so it would also seem that they
must inherit curses, or share in their calamities. The Lord,
in speaking to the children of Israel, said He would
visit "the iniquity of the fathers upon the children
unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate"
him; and furthermore "a bastard shall not enter into
the congregation of the Lord, even to his tenth genera-
tion." This ostracism or punishment could be for no
personal act of their own, for they had no part in the
sin of their parents; any more than Adam's progeny
had in the original sin or transgression. But it seems
to be a principle admitted, that if they share the bless-
ings accruing to their father for righteous acts, they
must also share the condemnation for acts that are un-
righteous. Hence comes in the atonement of the
Messiah, which amply covers all of these acts, and more
than that, for as Paul says: "But not as the offence,
so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of
one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and
the gift by grace, wmch is by one man, Jesus Christ;
hath abounded unto many." Hence we say, as above~
the atonement covered more, apparently, than the trans-
gression; for Adam, without the transgression, would
have had no increase. That transgression opened the
way for the increase, as stated by Eve, "Were it not for
our transgression, we never should have had seed, and
never should have known good and evil, and the joy of
our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth
unto all the obedient." That being ttie case, all
children born among any people, not having arrived at
the years of accountability, are saved ihrough the
atonement of Jesus Christ, as stated by Moroni:

"Little children cannot repent; wherefore it is awful
wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them,
for they are all alive in him because of his mercy. And
he that saith, that little children need baptism, denieth
the mercies of Christ, and setteth at naught the atone-
ment of him and the power of his redemption. Wo
unto such, for they are in danger of death, hell, and

154 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

endless torment. I speak it boldly, God hath commanded
me. Listen unto them and give heed, or they stand
against you at the judgment seat of Christ. For behold,
that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all
they that are without the law. For the power of
redemption cometh on all they that have no law;
wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is
under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such
baptism availeth nothing. But it is mockery before God,
denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his
Holy Spirit, and putting trust in dead works." — Moroni,,
viii, 19—23.

CHAPTER XXII.

The Operations of the Priesthood in the Heavens and upon the Earthy
in Time and Eternity — The Heirs of the Celestial Kingdom — Those
who Die without Law — The Judges of the Earth — Priests and Kings
— Christ the King of Kings — Condition of Patriarch Joseph Smith,
Apostle David Patten and Others— Moses and EliasT-The Visits of
Angels and their Testimonies — Peter, James and John — The Angel
in the Book of Revelation.

There is something peculiarly interesting in the con-
templation of events associated with the future destiny
of mankind. Among other things it will be seen that
there is a very close connection or affinity between the
operations of the Priesthood in the heavens and the
Priesthood upon earth. In examining this subject we-
find it written:

" The .J Lord redeemeth _n one_ such that__xebel. .against
him_and die in their sins ; yea, even all those that
have perished in their sins ever since the world began,.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 155

that have wilfully rebelled against God, that have known
the commandments of God, and would not keep them;
these are they that have no part in the first resurrec-
tion." — Mosiah, xv, 26.

But on the other hand it is promised that those
who would have received the Gospel if they had had
the opportunity shall yet have that privilege. The Pro-
phet Joseph Smith records in his history: "Thus came
the voice of the Lord unto me, saying, All those who
have died without a knowledge "of ""this Gospel, who
would ^have received it if they had been permitt enfto
tarrx. shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God;
also all that shall die henceforth without _,a ,_knowledge
_of__it,. who would have received it with all their hearts,
shall be heirs of that kingdom, for I, the Lord, wil l
judge all men acc ording to their fflrjjff a ccord ing to the
desire of their hearts ." — Deseret News, Vol. II, No. 22.

With this agree the words of the Apostle Paul, that

thog g who h ave died wit hnnt. law shall hp. _jurl gprl w .jt-h-

qut_law; whilst the Lord further reveals to the Prophet
Joseph that " that which is governed by law is also
preserved by law, and perfected and sanctilied by the
same. That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by
law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and will-
eth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, can-
not be sanctilied by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor
judgment. Therefore they must remain filthy still."

With this teaching is associated a grand principle
connected with the everlasting Priesthood, which admin-
isters in time and in eternity. When we reflect upon
the statement of creatures being judged without law, the
question arises as to who are to be their judges. We
may here state that Christ is called the judge of the
quick and the dead, the judge of all the earth. We
further read that the Twelve Apostles who ministered
in Jerusalem "shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel." (Matt., xix, 28.) Also the
following:

"And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, and it

156 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

hath gone forth in a firm decree, by the will of the
Father, that mine apostles, the _ Twelve who___were with
me in m y ministry at Jerus alem, shall stand at my
right hand aE the day of my coming in a pillar of
fire, being clothed with robes of righteousness, with
crowns upon their heads, in glory even as I am, to
judge the whole house of Israel, even jis many as have
2 pved me and jsepl my co mmandm ents, and none else."
— Doc. and Cov., Sec. xxix, 12, p. 143.

And Nephi writes in the Book of Mormon:
"And the angel spake unto me, saying, Behold the
twelve disciples of the Lamb, who are chosen to minis-
ter unto thy seed. And he said unto me, Thou remem-
berest the twelve apostles of the Lamb? Behold, they
are they who shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel;
wherefore, the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be
judged of them; for ye are of the house of Israel.
And these twelve ministers, whom thou beholdest, shall
judge thy seed. And, behold they are righteous for ever;
for because of their faith in the Lamb of God, their
garments are made white in his blood." — 1 Nephi, xii,
8—10.

This exhibits a piinciple of adjudication or judgment
in the hands, firstly, of the Great High Priest and King,
Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God; secondly, in the
hands of the Twelve Apostles on the continent of Asia,
bestowed by Jesus Himself ; thirdly, in the Twelve Dis-
ciples on this continent, to their peoples, who it. appears
are under the presidency of the Twelve Apostles who
ministered at Jerusalem; which presidency is also exhib-
ited by Peter, James and John, the acknowledged presi-
dency of the Twelve Apostles; they, holding this Priest-
hood first on the earth, and then in the heavens, being
the legitimate custodians of the keys of the Priesthood,
came and bestowed it upon Joseph Smith and Oliver
Cowdery. It is also further stated that the Saints shall
judge the world. Thus Christ is at the head, His Apos-
tles and disciples seem to take the next prominent
part; then comes the action of the Saints, or other

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 157

branches of the Priesthood, who it is stated shall judge
the world. This combined Priesthood, it would appear,
will hold the destiny of the human family in their
hands and adjudicate in all matters pertaining to their
affairs; and it would seem to be quite reasonable,
if the Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem are to be the judges
of the Twelve Tribes, and the Twelve Disciples on this
continent are to be the judges of the descendants of
Nephi, then that the brother of Jared and Jared should
be the judges of the Jaredites, their descendants; and,
further, that the First Presidency and Twelve who have
officiated in our age, should operate in regard to man-
kind in this dispensation, and also in regard to all
matters connected with them, whether they relate to the
past, present, or future, as the aforementioned have done
in regard to their several peoples ; and that the Patri-
archs, the Presidents, the Twelve, the High Priests, the
Seventies, the Elders, the Bishops, Priests, Teachers and
Deacons should hold their several places behind the
veil, and officiate according to their calling and standing
in that Priesthood. In fact, the Priesthood is called an
everlasting Priesthood; it ministers in time and in eter-
nity. Moses speaks of the Levitical Priesthood as an
everlasting Priesthood. (Ex., xl, 15.) Paul refers to the
Melchizedek Priesthood as being " without father, without
mother, without descent, having neither beginning of
days, nor end of life." (Heb., vii, 3.) Whilst the Pro-
phet Joseph Smith states that this "Priesthood continu-
eth in the Church of God in all generations, and is
without beginning of days or end of years." (Doc. and
Cov., Sec. lxxxiv, 17, p. 290.)

This being the case, it necessarily follows that those
holding the Priesthood on the earth continue in the
exercise of that Priesthood in the heavens, their opera-
tions being changed from this to another state of exist-
ence; and when the dead, small and great, shall be
judged, while God stands at the head, and Jesus is the
great High Priest of our profession, all those who have
ever lived who are worthy will stand in their proper

158 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

positions, according to their callings, Priesthood, ordina-
tions or quorums. It is written that they without us
can not be made perfect, and that we without them
can not be made perfect. We have commenced to build
temples, and to administer in them according to the
decrees, purposes and foreknowledge of God. When we
have got through with our personal affairs connected
with our individual families and interests, so far as we
can legitimately trace them, then it becomes a question
as to the position of those that are behind the veil of
whom we have no personal knowledge. Does it not
seem consistent that to the ancient as well as the
modern Patriarchs, Prophets, Presidents, Apostles, Sev-
enties, High Priests, Elders, Bishops and others would
be committed the manipulation and judgment of those
who are behind the veil; and with whom we, at
present, have nothing to do? And if temples are
to be built here and ordinances performed in them
in the interest of those who have died without law,
and in the adjudication of all these matters, that the
Priesthood behind the veil, to whom is committed
the judgment of these things, should communicate
with the Priesthood upon the earth, that they may
be administered for by proxy in the temples erect-
ed by us, and those who shall follow after us; that
all things may be done according to equity, law, and
justice, and that none but those worthy to receive those
great blessings and high exaltations can participate in
the same; being thus sanctioned by the Priesthood in
heaven and the Priesthood upon the earth? Hence,
while they are saviors, preach to the spirits in prison .
and judge the dead, we build temples and administer
for them upon the earth, and thus become, as it is writ-
ten, "saviors upon Mount Zion;" operating and co-
operating with the Priesthood behind the veil, in the
interest, happiness, salvation and exaltation of the human
family. Thus shall we also become legitimately and by
right, through the atonement and adoption, Kings and
Priests — Priests to administer in the holy ordinances

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 159

pertaining to the endowments and exaltations; and Kings,
under Christ, who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords,
to rule and govern, according to the eternal laws of jus-
tice and equity, those who are thus redeemed and
exalted.

In corroboration of these ideas is the statement, in
the Book of Doctiine and Covenants, that Father Joseph
Smith, who was the first Patriarch to the Church in
this dispensation, is now at the right hand of Abraham,
who was also a presiding Patriarch. The passage reads:

" That I may receive him unto myself, even as I
did * * * my aged servant, Joseph

Smith, sen., who sitteth with Abraham at his right
hand, and blessed and holy is he, for he is mine." —
Doc. and Cov., cxxiv, 19, p. 431.

It is also stated of David Patten, one of the Twelve
Apostles, who was slain by the mobbers in Missouri,
that "David Patten I have taken unto myself; behold,
his Priesthood no man taketh from him; but, verily I
say unto you, another may be appointed unto the same
calling." — Doc. and Cov., cxxiv, 130, p. 445.

The same is said of Seymour Brunson, one of the
High Council, and of Edward Partridge, the first Bishop
of the Church, both of whom were dead:

"Seymour Brunson I have taken unto myself, no
man taketh his Priesthood, but another may be appointed
unto the same Priesthood in his stead." — Doc. and Cov.,
Sec. cxxiv, 132, p. 445. " That when he shaM finish his
work, that I may receive him unto myself, even
as I did my servant David Patten, who is with me at
this time, and also my servant Edward Partridge." —
Doc. and Cov., Sec. cxxiv, 19, p. 431.

We read that Moses and Eflias came to administer
to Jesus, on the Mount, while Peter, James and John
were with him. Who were this Moses and this Elias?
Moses was a great Prophet, appointed by the Lord to
deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage, and lead them to
the promised land; and he held the keys of the gathering
dispensation, which key? he afterwards conferred upon

160 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple. Who was Elias?
Elijah; which name in the old Scriptures is made syn-
onymous with Elias; and who held, according to the
testimony of Joseph Smith as elsewhere stated, the keys
of the Priesthood. These men. who held those keys
and officiated upon the earth, having left the earth, now
come, associated with Jesus, to administer to Peter,
James and John, and confer upon them the Priesthood
which they hold; and these three ancient Apostles con-
ferred the Priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Oliver
Cowdery in this dispensation. This principle is very
clearly illustrated in the following quotation from the
Book of Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. cxxviii, 20,
21, p., 457:

"And again, what do we hear? Glad tidings from
Cumorah! Moroni, an angel from heaven, declaring the
fulfilment of the prophets — the book to be revealed. A
voice of the Lord in the wilderness of Fayette, Seneca
County, declaring the three witnesses to bear record of
the book. The voice of Michael on the banks of the
Susquehanna, detecting the >, devil -when he appeared as
an angel of light. The voice of Peter, James and John
in the wilderness between Harmony, Susquehanna county,
and Colesville, Broome county, on the Susquehanna
river, declaring themselves as possessing the keys of the
kingdom, and of the dispensation of the fulness of times.

"And again, the voice of God in the chamber of
old Father Whitmer, in Fayette, Seneca County, and at
sundry times and in divers places through all the trav-
els and tribulations of this Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. And the voice of Michael, the arch-
angel; the voice of Gabriel, and of Raphael, and of
divers angels, from Michael or Adam, down to the
present time, all declaring their dispensation, their rights,
their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory,
and the power of their Priesthood; giving line upon
line, precept upon precept; here a little and there a
little — giving us consolation by holding forth that which
is to come, confirming our hope."

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 161

Hence their Priesthood was everlasting, it adminis-
tered in time and in eternity. In consonance with the
same idea is a remark made by a mighty angel, to be
found in the Revelation received by St. John on the Isle
of Patmos. After this angel had communicated to John
many great and important events yet to transpire, the
Apostle was so overawed by his presence that he fell at
his feet to worship him; whereas the angel said, "See
that thou do it not; I am thy fellow servant, and of
thy brethren that have kept the testimony of Jesus:
worship God; for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of
prophecy." (Rev., xix, 10.) In other words, he had held
the holy Priesthood on the earth and had officiated
therein; he had been subjected to all the obloquy, con-
tumely and reproach which the Prophets of God generally
suffered. But now the scene was changed; he was of-
ficiating in another sphere, and was revealing unto the
Apostle John, who had a peculiar mission on the earth,
some of the great and important truths or events that
should be developed in the accomplishment of the pur-
poses of God. -All of these men, having held the ever-
lasting Priesthood on earth, still retain the power and
authority conferred upon them, and stand forth as prom-
inent examples of the perpetuity of the everlasting
Priesthood, administering on the earth or in the heavens,
as the purposes of God and the fulfilment of their
duties render necessary, or the circumstances require

162 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

CHAPTER XXIII.

The Laws of God Unchangeable, Universal and Eternal— Examples and
Definitions— ?]volutionists— Kingdoms and Light— Christ the Creator,
etc. — Deviations from General Laws — Every Kingdom has a Law
Given.

There is an inexorable law of God that requires
from His professed followers the principles of virtue,
honor, truth, integrity, righteousness, justice, judgment
and mercy, as exhibited in the following Scriptures:

"Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy
throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face." —
Psalm lxxxix, 14.

"Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness:
therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the
oil of gladness above thy fellows." — Psalm ,-xlv, 7.

"Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall
dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and
worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his
heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor
doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach
against his neighbor. In whose eyes a vile person is con-
temned; but he*honoreth them that fear the Lord. He
that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He
that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh
reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things
shall never be moved." — Psalm xv, 1 — 5.

"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or
who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean
hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted * up his
soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive
the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the
God of his salvation." — Psalm xxiv, 3 — 5.

"Who among us shall dwell with the devouring
tire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting bum

THE MEDIATION AMD ATONEMENT. 163

ings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh
uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that
shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth
his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes
from seeing evil. He shall dwell on high; his place of
defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be
given him; his waters shall be sure." — Isaiah, xxxiii,
14—16.

There are eternal, unchangeable laws associated with
God, and with all His plans, His works and ways, the
requirements of which must be met; nor can they be
evaded or changed, except on certain principles provided
for and contained in the laws themselves. When man
had transgressed, an atonement had to be made commen-
surate with the act, and fully adequate to meet the in-
exorable demands of justice; so that, as stated, justice
might be satisfied, which, if it had not been, the law per-
taining to this matter could not have been carried out,
and must necessarily have been violated.

All^the. „worka_ of God connect ed with the world

which we inhabit, and— with— all-other worlds, are strictly
governed by law. So accurate are the movements of the
heaven! jr-bodies- that even with our limited knowledge
we can compute, after the departure of most of these
bodies, the time of their return to a minute. The sun
rises and sets with great regularity, and we can tell to a
moment, by calculating the revolution of the earth, at
what time it will make its appearance in the morning
and disappear in the evening; the same rule applies to
the moon, the whole of the solar system, and to all
bodies that can be reached by our instruments. There ».
is perfect regularity, exactitude and order associated with
all worlds; a departure from which would produce
incalculable evil and irretrievable destruction and ruin.
With regard to the matter of which the earth is com-
posed, it is also governed by strict, unchangeable laws;
matter possessing the same properties under the same
conditions, in all parts of the world. The various gras-
ses, herbs, plants, shrubs, flowers, minerals, metals, waters,

164 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

fluids or gases, when under the same conditions, are sud-,
ject to or governed by unchangeable laws; and by those
laws chemists or scientists are enabled to apply tests to
demonstrate the properties of the various elements in
nature, which they find are always immutable, and the
same degree of accuracy applies to the laws and various
formations of crystallization, under the same circumstan-
ces. The animal and vegetable creations are governed by
certain laws, and are composed of certain elements pecu
liar to themselves. This applies to man, to the beasts,
fowls, fish and creeping things, to the insects and to all
animated nature; each one possessing its own distinctive
features, each requiring a specific sustenance, each having
an organism and faculties governed by prescribed laws to
perpetuate its own kind. So accurate is the formation of
the various living creatures that an intelligent student ol
nature can tell by any particular bone of the skeleton
ol-> an animal to what class or order it belongs.

These principles do not change, as represented by
evolutionists of the Darwinian school, but the primitive
organisms of all living beings exist in the same form
as when they first received their impress from their
Maker. There are, indeed, some very slight exceptions,
as for instance, the ass may mix with the mare and
produce the mule; but there it ends, the violation of
the laws of procreation receives a check, and its opera-
tions can go no further. Similar compounds may possibly
be made by experimentalists in the vegetable and min-
eral kingdoms, but the original elements remain the
same. Yet this is not the normal, but an abnormal
condition with them, as with animals, birds, etc.;
and if we take man, he is said to have been
made in the image of God, for the simple reason that
he is a son of God; and being His son, he is, of
course, His offspring, an emanation from God, in whose
likeness, we are told, he is made. He did not originate
from a chaotic mass of matter, moving or inert, but
came forth possessing, in an embryotic state, all the
faculties and powers of a God. And when he shall be

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 165

perfected, and have progressed to maturity, he will be
ike his Father — a God; being indeed His offspring. As
;he horse, the ox, the sheep, and every living creature,
.ncluding man, propagates its own species and perpetu-
ites its own kind, so does God perpetuate His.

There are different organisms possessing different
qualities, from which the same results are uniformly
Dbtained. The body of a sheep produces wool, that of
a, goat produces hair, the flesh of certain kinds of fish
produces scales, the flesh of birds produces feathers, and
by the coverings of the various kinds of animals, birds
and fishes, may their originals be known. It is true
that some of these coverings may be slightty changed
by a removal of the creature from the arctic to the
torrid zone, or vice versa; wool may assume a nearer
approach to hair in length and texture, or hair may
become more woolty, but these modifications are slight,
and this covering of the animal is predisposed to return
to its original qualities when the creature is replaced in
his natural habitat. Paul, in speaking on the resur-
rection, refers to the different qualities of flesh as
follows:

"But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him,
and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the
same flesh; but there is one kind of flesh of men,
another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of /
birds."— 1 Cor., xy, 38, 39. ^/

These different qualities seem to be inherent in
the several species, as much so as the properties of
silver, gold, copper, iron and other minerals are inherent
in the matter in which they are contained, whilst
herbs, according to their kind, possess their specific
properties, or as the leading properties of earth, air,
and water, are distinct from one another; and hence, on
physiological grounds, this principle being admitted, and
it cannot be controverted, it would be impo.'s'ble • to
take the tissues of the lower, or, indeed, of any order
of fishes, and make of them an ox, a bird, or a man;
as impossible as it would be to take iron and make it

166 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

into gold, silver, or copper, or to produce other changes
in the laws which govern any kind of matter. And
when the resurrection and exaltation of man shall be
consummated, although more pure, refined and glorious,
yet will he still be in the same image, and have the
same likeness, without variation or change in any of
his parts or faculties, except the substitution of spirit
for blood.

This principle of exactitude in all the works of
God represents the principles that dwell in God
Himself. He is called in Scripture the I AM, in
other words, I AM THAT I AM, because of those
inherent principles, which are also eternal and unchange
able; for where those principles exist, He exists; and
when speaking of the worlds by which we are surrounded,
it is said, "Behold, all these are kingdoms, and any man
who hath seen any, or the least of these, hath seen
God moving in his majesty and power." — Doc. and Cov.,
sec. lxxxviii, 47, p. 310.

And again it is written:

"He comprehendeth all things, and all things are
before him, and all things are round about him: and
he is above all things, and in all things, and is through
all things, and is round about all things; and all things
are by him, and of him, even God, for ever and ever.
And again, verily I say unto you, he hath given a law
unto all things, by which they move in # their times and
their seasons."— Ibid., 41, 42, p. 309.

And again, in the same revelation, we read:

"As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun,
and the power thereof by which it was made. As also
he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and
the power thereof by which it was made. As also the
light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they
were made. And the earth also, and the power thereof;
even the earth upon which you stand. And the light
which now shineth, which giveth you light, is through
him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light
that quickeneth your understandings; which light pro-

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 167

ceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the
immensity of space. The light which is in all things;
which giveth life to all things: which is the law by
which all things are governed: even the power of God
who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of
eternity, who is in the midst of all things."— Ibid., 7 — 13,
p. 306.

jThe world was made by Him, and without Him
was not anything made that was made, and, therefore,
having made all things He has given to all things a
law; and hence those laws which we have briefly
alluded to, are the productions of His comprehensive,
intelligent, and infinite mind: He is the Alpha and
Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Fountain of all
life, of all light, of all truth, of all intelligence, of all
existence. He is also .,the_sustainer_~of_alLJife_and.-all

-light, in r all ereiileiLJbeings^. in Him all animal life of

.every form Jias- its. -being.

There are some apparent deviations from general
laws. But these apparent deviations are merely appendages
to the great general law, in order that creation may
be perfect in all its parts. For instance, there is a
general law of what is termed gravitation which causes
bodies to fall to the earth from a given height, with
the same velocity according to their specific gravity. But
there are other -local laws which disturb the normal
conditions, so far as they extend, of what may be
termed the general law. As, for example, the magnet,
in its limited sphere is more powerful than the general
law of gravity, it attracting certain matter to itself in
opposition to the general law, while the magnet itself is
subject to the general law. There is also another
principle, called capillary attraction, which causes water
and other fluids to ascend in the earth, in tubes, etc.
Take away these local agencies and everything resumes
its normal condition. A bird, through the use of its
wings, possesses the power of locomotion through the air;
let that bird, however, lose its mechanism and power
by being maimed or killed, and it is governed by the

168 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

same law of gravitation and drops to the earth. Balloons
will ascend and carry a specified weight with them to
great altitudes, but this is owing to a modification of
one part of the law of gravitation; which causes denser
bodies to cling with greater tenacity to the earth, and
the gas that enters the balloons is more rarified than
the atmosphere immediately contiguous to the earth;
which dense atmosphere forces the lighter gases to their
proper place, causing them to bound upwards; this
being done and the equilibrium obtained, if the gas is
permitted to escape, the materials of which the balloon
is composed, together with its occupants, are precipitated,
according to the general laws of gravitation, to the
earth.

< God -is- unchangeable*— so— ^ire — also— his laws,, in all

their -forms, and in" all' their~applications, and being
Himself -the essence of law; — the — giver of— law, the
sustainer of law, all of those laws are eternal in all their
operations, in alL„bodies and jxtatter, an.d™throughout all
space. It would_be_impossible for—Him ~to violate law,
because in- so doing He _would_strike_at-His^ own. dignity,
power-, principles, glory, exaltation and existence.
The book of Doctrine and Covenants states:
["And again, verily I say unto you, that which is
governed by law is also preserved by law, and perfected
and sanctified by the same. That which breaketh a law,
and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law
unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether
abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by
mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore they must

/-remain filthy still. All kingdoms have a law given:

and there,_ are_many kingdoms; ..for there is ho" space

in the which there is_ no kingdom; and there is no
kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a

.lesser kingdom. And_unto every kingdom is given a
Jaw; and unto every law there are certain bounds also
and conditions. All beings who abide not in those
conditions are not justified; for intelligence cleaveth unto
intelligence: wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 169

truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light;
mercy hath compassion on mercy, and claimeth her own; -;
justice continueth its course, and claimeth its own;
judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon „
the throne, and governeth and executeth all things." —
Sec^lxxxviiv-34— 4.0,. p.p^ 308, 309. !

"X Hejncje, — the_iaw__o f_ atonement had to be met as
well as all_ other laws, for. God _ could no t be GoT'with-
out fulfilling it . >

Jesus, said, "If it be possible, let this cup pass."
But it was not possible; for to have done so would
have been a violation of the law, and he had to
take it. The atonement must be made, a God must 'j)C
be sacrificed. £Jo power can resist a law of God. It is ~"
omnipresent, omnipotent, exists everywhere, in all things,
through all things and round about all things. We
read:

"0 the greatness of the mercy of our God, the
Holy One of Israel! F or he delive reth his saints from
that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell, and
that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless tor-
ment. how great the holiness of our God! For he
knoweth all things, and there is not any thing, save
he knows it. And he cometh into the world that he
may save all men, if they will hearken unto his voice;

for behold, he suffe reth th e _ pains of all men; yea,

the__pains^of every living creature, both men, women,
and children, who belong to the family of Adam. And
he suffereth this, that the lesurrection might pass upon
all men, that all might stand before him at the great ■
and judgment day. And he commandeth all men that
they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having
perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot
be saved in the kingdom of God. And if they will not
repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his
name, and endure _ to the end, they-must-be damned; for
the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it;
Wherefore he has given a law; and where there is no
law given, there is no punishment; and where there is

7

170 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

no punishment, there is no condemnation; and where
there is no condemnation, the mercies of the Holy One
of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atone-
ment; for they are delivered by the power of him;
for the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice
upon all those who have not the law given to them,
that they are delivered from that awful monster, death
and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brim-
stone, which is endless torment; and they are restored
to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy
One of Israel. But wo unto . him that has the law
given; yea, that has all the commandments of God like
unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth
the days of his probation, for awful is his state."— 2
Nephi, ix, 19—27.

CHAPTER XXIV.

The Results of the Atonement— The Debt Paid— Justice and Mercy-
Extracts from the Teachings of Alma and Others.

From the facts in the case and the testimony pre-
sented in the Scriptures it becomes evident that through
the great atonement, the expiatory sacrifice of the Son
of God, it is made possible that man can be redeemed,
restored, resurrected and exalted to the elevated position
designed for him in the creation as a Son of God: that
-. eternal justice and law required the penalty to be paid
\ by man himself, or by the atonement of the Son of
\ GofL: that Jesus offeree! Himself as the great expiatory
j sacrifice ; that this offering being in accordance with the
I demands or requirements of the law, was accepted by the

y

7?

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 171

great Lawgiver ; that it was prefigured by sacrifices, and
ultimately fulfilled by Himself according to the eternal
covenant. "He was wounded (as prophesied of) for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the
chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his
stripes we are healed." _,

The Savior thus becomes master of the situation —
the debt is paid, the redemption made, the covenant ful-
filled, justice satisfied, the will of God done, and all
power is now given into the hands of the Son of God
— the power of the resurrection, the power of the re-
demption, the power of salvation, the power to enact
laws for the carrying out and accomplishment of this
design. Hence life and immortality are brought to light,
the Gospel is introduced, and He becomes the author of
eternal life and exaltation. He is the Redeemer, the
Resurrector, the Savior of man and the world ; and He
has appointed the law of the Gospel as the medium
which must be complied with in this world or the
next, as He complied with His Father's law ; hence
"he that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth
•not shall be damned "

The plan, the arrangement, the agreement, the cove-
nant was made, entered into and accepted before the
foundation of the world ; it was prefigured by sacrifices,
and was carried out and consummated on the cross.

Hence being the mediator between God and man,
He becomes by right the dictator and director on earth
and in heaven for the living and for the dead, for the -
past, the present and the future, pertaining to man as
associated with this earth or the heavens, in time 01
eternity, the Captain of our salvation, the Apostle and
High-Priest of our profession, the Lord and Giver of
life.

Is justice dishonored ? No ; it is satisfied, the debt
is paid. Is righteousness departed from ? No ; this is a
righteous act. All requirements are met. Is judgment
violated? No; its demands are fulfilled. Is mercy tri-
umphant? No; she simply claims her own. Justice.

172 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

judgment, mercy and truth all harmonize as the at-
tributes of Deity. "Justice and truth have met to-
gether, righteousness and peace have kissed each other."
Justice and judgment' triumph as well as mercy and
peace; all the attributes of Deity harmonize in this
great, grand, momentous, just, equitable, merciful and
meritorious act.

The Book of Mormon is very explicit on these
principles. We read therein:

"And behold, I say unto you, thjs is not all: For
O how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of
him that bringeth good tidings, that is the founder of
peace: yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people:
v**a, him who has granted salvation unto his people:
J^or were it not for the redemption which he hath made
for his people, which was prepared from the founda-
tion of the world ; I say unto you, were it not for this,
all mankind must have perished. But behold, the bands
of death shall be broken, and the Son reigneth, and
hath power over the dead ; therefore, he bringeth to
pass the resurrection of the dead. And there cometh a
resurrection, even a first resurrection ; yea even a res-
urrection of those that have been, and who are, and
who shall be, even until the resurrection of Christ: for
so shall he be called. And now, the resurrection of all
the prophets, and all those that have believed in their
words, or all those that have kept the commandments
of God, shall come forth in the first resurrection; there-
fore, they are the first resurrection. They are. raised to
dwell with God who has redeemed them: thus they
have eternal life through Christ, who has broken the
bands of death. And these are those who have part in
the first resurrection ; and these are they that have died
before Christ came, in their ignorance, not having salva-
tion declared unto them. And thus the Lord bringeth
about the restoration of these ; and they have a part
in the first resurrection, or have eternal life, being re-
deemed by the Lord. And little children also have
eternal life.- But behold, and fear, and tremble before

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 173

God ; for ye ought to tremble: for the Lord redeem eth
none such that rebel against him, and die in their sins;
yea, even all those that have perished in their sins ever
since the world began, that have wilfully rebelled
against God, that have known the commandments of
God, and would not keep them ; these are they that
have no part in the first resurrection. Therefore had
ye not ought to tremble ? For salvation cometh to
none such ; for the Lord hath redeemed none such;
yea, neither can the Lord redeem such ; for he cannot
deny himself; for he cannot deny justice when it has
its claim." — Mosiah, xv, 18—27.

The next is a portion of a sermon of the Prophet
Amulek, the companion of Alma, to the Zoramites:

"My brother- has called upon the words of Zenos,
that redemption cometh through the Son of God, and
also upon the words of Zenoch ; and also he has ap-
pealed unto Moses, to prove that these things are true.
And now behold, I will testify unto you of myself that
these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I
do know that Christ shall come among the children of
men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people,
and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; [for
the Lord God hath jppjken__it; for • it is expedient th at
an atonement should _b_ e made ; for according to the
great plan of the eternal God, there must be an atone-
ment made, or else all mankind must unavoidably
perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and
are lost, and must perish, except it be through the
atonement which it is expedient should be made; for
it_is_£xpedifint_that — there — ehou-ld_Jie__a _great_. and lasT"

sacnfic^;_yea r _n.ot--a--5acrifice_.Qf man, neither of beast,

neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a
human isacrince^. but_it must_bg_an infinite, and., eternal
s acrifice. N ow there is not any man that can sacrifice,
his own blood, which will atone for the sins of another.!
Now if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is
just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you nay.
But the law requireth the life of him who hath mur-

174 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

dered ; I therefore there- can be nothing which is short of
an infinite atonement, which will suffice for the sins of
the world: therefore it is expedient that there should
be a great and last sacrifice;! and then shall there be,
or it is expedient there should be_ a stop to the
shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be ful-
filled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled; every jot and tittle;
and none shall have passed away. And behold, this is
the whole meaning of the law:| every whit pointing to
that great ' and last sacrifice; and that great and last
sacrifice will be the_Son. ol_jGtod:„_yea^ infinite and eter-
nal; and thus he shall bring salvation to all those who
shalL believe on his name; this being the intent of this
last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which
overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto
men that they may have faith unto repentance. And
thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, I and en-
circles them in the arms of safety, while he that exer-
cises no faith unto repentance, is exposed to the whole
law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him

that has faith .jinto_repentance,-.is brought about the

great and eternal plan of redemption. Therefore may
God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin-
to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin
to call upon- his holy name, that he would have mercy
upon you.f — Alma, xxxiv, 7 — 17.

And again, to quote from the commandments of
Alma to his son Corianton:

"And now, my son, I perceive there is somewhat
more which doth worry your mind, which ye cannot
understand, which is concerning the justice of God, in'
the punishment of the sinner; for ye do try to suppose
that it is injustice that the sinner should be consigned
to a state of misery. Now, behold, my son, I will
explain this thing unto thee: for behold, after the Lord
God sent our first parents forth from the Garden of
Eden, to till the ground, from whence they were taken;
yea, he drew out the man, and he placed at the east end
of the Garden of Eden, Cherubim, and a flaming sword

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 175

which turned every way, to keep the tree of life. Now
we see that the man had become as God, knowing good
and evil; and lest he should put forth his hand, and
take also of the tree of life, and eat and live for ever,
the Lord God placed Cherubim and the flaming sword,
that he should not partake of the fruit; and thus we
see, that there was a time granted unto man to repent,
yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve
God. For behold, if Adam had put forth his hand
immediately, and partook of the tree of life,*he would
have lived for ever, according to the word of God, hav-
ing no space for repentance; yea, and also the word of
God would have been void, and the great plan of sal-
vation would have been frustrated. (But behold, it was
appointed unto man to die; therefore as they were cut
off from the tree of life they should be cut off from
the face of the earth, and man become lost for ever; yea,
they became fallen man. And now we see by this, that
our parents were cut off, both temporally and spiritually,
from the presence of the Lord; and thus we see they
became subjects to follow after their own will. Now be-
hold, it was not expedient that man should be reclaim ed
from — this temporal death, for that would destroy the
great plan of happ iness; therefore, as the soul could
never die, and the fall had brought upon all mankind
a spiritual death as well as a temporal; that is, they
were cut off from the presence of the Lord; it was
expedient that mankind should be reclaimed from this
spiritual death; therefore, as they had 'become carnal,
sensual, and devilish by nature, this probationary state
became a state for them to prepare; it became a pre-
paratory state. And now remember, my son, if it were
not for the plan of redemption, (laying it aside,) as
soon as they were dead, their souls were miserable,
being cut off from the presence of the Lord. And now
there was no means to reclaim men from this fallen
state which man had brought upon himself, because of
his own disobedience; therefore, according to justice, the
plan .of redemption could not be brought about, only on

176 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

conditions of repentance of men in this probationary
state; yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for
these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it
should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of
justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease
to be God. And thus we see that all mankind were
fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice; yea, the
justice of God, which consigned them for ever to be
cut off from his presence. And now the plan of mercy
could not be brought about, except an atonement should
be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of
the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease
the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect,
just God, and a merciful God also. Now repentance
could not come unto men, except there were a punish-
ment, which also was eternal as the life of the soul
should be, affixed opposite to the plan of happiness,
which was as eternal also as the life of the soul. Now,
how could a man repent, except he should sin? How^
could he sin, if there was no law? How could there be
a law, save there was a punishment? Now there was a
punishment affixed, and a just 1^ given, which brought
remorse of conscience unto mfln.r^T" fcpw if_ there was no
law given if a man murdered he should die, would
he be afraid he would die if he should murder? And
also, if there was no law given against sin, men would
not be afraid to sin. And if there was no law given
if men sinned, what could justice do, or mercy either;
for they would have no claim upon the creature? But
there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a
repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth;
otherwise, justice claimeth the creature, and executeth
the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment: if not
so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God
would cease to be God. But God ceaseth not to be God,
and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh be-
cause of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to
pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection
of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 177

God ; and thus they are restored into his presence, to
be judged according to their works; according to the
law and justice; for behold, justice exerciseth all his
demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own;
and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved. What!
do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto
you, nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be
God. And thus God bringeth about his great and eter-
nal purposes, which were prepared- from the foundation
of the world. And thus cometh about the salvation
and the redemption of men, and also their destruction

a nd misery." — A lma , xli i, 1 — 9fi.

(*" In the first place, according to justice men could
not have been redeemed from temporal death, except
through the atonement of Jesus Christ; and in the
second place, they could not be redeemed from spiritual
death, only through obedience to His law.

CHAPTER XXV.

The Resurrection— The Universality of the Atonement— The Promises
to those who Overcome — The Gospel-Its First Principles— Faith,
Repentance, Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost— Its Antiquity
— It is Preached in "Various Dispensations, from Adam until the
Present— The Final Triumph of the Saints.

The great pre-requisites having been fulfilled, it
now becomes our duty to enquire what next had to be
done to consummate the great object obtainable through
the fulfilment of this law, or what was accomplished
by the atonement.

J 12

1

178 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

First, the Resurrection. The penalty of the broken
law in Adam's day was death; and death is passed
upon all. The word of the Lord was, "In the day
that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." The
atonement made by Jesus Christ brought about the
resurrection from the dead, and restored life. And
hence Jesus said: "I am the Resurrection and the Life;
he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall
he live;" and Jesus "Himself became the first fruits of
those avIjo slept.

Tne next question that arises is, how far does this
[principle extend and to whom is it applicable? It extends
to all the human family; to all men every nation:

as it is written:

"For, if by one man's offence ith reigneth by
one; much more they which re - abundance of
grace, and of the gift of righte ' ;ss, shall reign
in life by one, Jesus Christ. T jfi'ore, as by the
offence of one judgment came up <■' all men to con-
demnation, even so by the righteo- ss of one the free
gift came upon all men unto ification of life."

— Romans, v, 17, 18.

This will not • all take place at once. "But every man
in his own order: Christ, the first fruits; afterward
they that are Christ's at his coming." — 1 Cor., xv, -23.
"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the
thousand years were finished." — Rev., xx, 5.

Hence what was lost in Adam was restored in Jesus
Christ, so far as all men are concerned in all ages, with
some very slight exceptions arising from an abuse of
privileges. Transgression of the law brought death upon
all the posterity of Adam, the restoration through the
atonement restored all the human family to life. "For
since by man came death, by man came also the resur-
rection" of the dead. For as in Adam all die, eve"n so
in Christ shall all be made alive." So that whatever
was lost by Adam, wa s restored by Jesus Christ.

The penalty of the transgression of the law was the
death of the body. The atonement made by Jesus

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 179

r Christ iesulted in the resurrection of the human body. J
Its scope embraced all peoples, nations and tongues. (

"For all my Lord was crucified,
For all, for all my Savior died." J

This is o ne pa rt of the restoration. This is t he

restor ation of _ the body The nftT.t question for ns t o

examine is, Ho w, and in what manner a re men benefitted
by the atonement and by the resurrection? In this,
that~fhe atonement having restored man to his former '
position before the Lord, it has placed him in a position
and made it possible for him to obtain that exaltation
and glory which it would have been impossible for him
to have received without it; even to become a son
of God by adoption; and being a son then an heir
of God, and a joint heir with Jesus Christ; and that,
as Christ overcame, He has made 'it possible, and
has placed it within the power of believers in Him,
also to overcome; and as He is authorized to inherit His
Father's glory which He had with Him before the
world was, with His resurrected body, so through the
adoption, may we overcome and sit down with Him
upon His throne, as He has overcome and has sat down
upon His Father's throne. And aa he has said, »"I and
the Father are one," so are the obedient saints one with
Him, as He is one with the Father, even as He prayed:

"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in
me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us;
that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
.And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given
them; that they may be one, even as we are one; . I
in them, and thou in me, that they may be made per-
fect in one; and that the world may know that thou
hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved
me."— John, xvii, 21—23.

Being_Jlhe--6e-i>s-of"God — through— thd-^atonement~and
ado ption, en d J,hrough_Jaitk>_iru,J-es.us — Ch r is t, . th ey—rise
to_the digidty and glory of . u t he Godhead, even to b*
Gods; as it is promised l

X

18C

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

"Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the
temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and
I will write upon him the name of my God, and the
name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem,
which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and
I will write upon him my new name. — Rev., iii, 12.

Again, "To him that overcometh will I grant to
sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame,
and am set down with my Father in his throne."
— Rev., iii, 21.

Yet again, "He that overcometh shall inherit all
things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my
/iA l^son.''— RejL^xxi^

ence, through His atonement, believers in Christ,
and those who obey His law, partake of His glory and
exaltation, and are inheritors of the Godhead; whilst
those who do not obey His law although resurrected
cannot inherit this exaltation; they are raised from the
dead, but cannot inherit a celestial glory without being
obedient to a celestial law, and thus we come again to
a scripture quoted before. Jesus said, "Thus it is written,
and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from
the dead the third day: and that repentance and remis-
sion of sins should be preached in his name among
all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

Having noticed the great blessings, privileges, powers
and exaltations that are placed within the reach of man,
through the atonement of Jesus Christ, it next becomes
our duty to enquire what is required of man to place
him in possession of them. ^

That the world might be benefitted through the
redemption brought about by Jesus Christ, He called
and ordained twelve Apostles, and commanded them to
go forth into all the world, and preach the Gospel to
every creature, saying, "He that believeth and is bap-
tized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned," or condemned. Thus placing it within the
reach of every man to obtain the glory and exaltation
referred to above, and leaving all men without excuse

\

$

A

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 181

who would not obey the law and be subject to the
conditions imposed. The penalty of Adam's sin having
been removed ' through the atonement, it now became
the privilege of all men, in all nations, to partake of
the salvation provided by the great Mediator.

And this provision applies not only to the living,
but also to the dead, so that all men who have
existed in all ages, who do exist now, or who will exist
while the earth shall stand, may be placed upon the same
footing, and that all men may have the privilege, living or
dead, of accepting the conditions of the great plan of
redemption provided by the Father, through the Son,
before the world was; and that the justice and mercy
of God may be applied to every being, living or dead,
that ever has existed, that does now exist, or that ever
will exist.

f The conditions required of the human family to
enable them to obtain the high exaltation which the
atonemen-t-^nakes it possible for -.them to receive] are:
First, ^aith ^n God as our Father and the great Supreme
Ruler of £he universe; in whose hands are the destinies
of the human family; in whom we live and move and
have our being. And in His Son Jesus Christ, as the
Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world,
as the great Mediator and great propitiatory sacrifice pro-
vided by the Father before the creation, and consummated
by the offering of Himself upon the cross. Fo r "God
so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten So n,
that ~ whosoev er believeth in him shoul d no t perish, but
ha ve eve rlasting life." Or, to use the words? of the
Nephite King Benjamin:

"Believe in God; beHeve_ihai__he__is, and that he
created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe
that lie has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven
and in __earth ; believe that man doth not comprehend
all the things which, the Lord can comprehend." *

_Or_as_Paul writes; " He that cometh to God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them
that diligently seek him. 5 V ? I .•

Y

I

182 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

The second principle of the Gospel of salvation, is
repent ance/ — H is a sincere and godly sorrow for and
a forsaking of sin, combined with full purpose of heart
to keep God's commandments. As is written by the
Prophet Isaiah: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and
the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return
unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him;
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." And
to quote from the Book of Mormon:

"And again: Believe that ye must repent of your
sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before
God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would for-
give you; and now, if you believe all these things, see
thatya^do them." — Mosiah, iv, 10.

( ^Thirdl y, Baptism for the remission of sins, of our
personal transgressions, which, through this means, pro-
vided by divine mercy, are, by reason of the atone-
ment, blotted out. To use the words of Paul: "There-
fore we are buried with him by baptism into death:
that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by
the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk
in newness of life. For if we have been planted
together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also
in the likeness of his resurrection."

(^ex%, the reception of the Holy Ghost through the
laying on of hands of those who have received the
Holy Priesthood, and are duly authorized, ordained, and
empowered to impart this blessing: Thus Peter preached
on the day of Pentecost:

"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise
is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar
off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." — Acts,
ii, 38, 39.

These are the introductory or first principles of the
everlasting, unchangeable Gospel of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, that is and has been the same to all men,
amongst all nations, in all ages, whenever, or wherever

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 183

it has been taught by the authority of heaven. Hence
we read: It was "preached from the beginning, being
declared by holy angels, sent from the presence of God,
and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy
Ghost. And thus all things were confirmed unto Adam >
by an holy ordinance, and the Guspel preached, and a
decree sent forth, that it should be in the world, until
the end thereof." — Pearl of Great Price.

And in that day "the Lord God called . upon men
by the Holy Ghost everywhere, and commanded them
that they should • repent; and as many as believed in
the Son, and repented of their sins, should be saved;
and as many as believed not and repented not, should
be damned; and the words went forth out of the mouth
of God in a firm decree; wherefore they must be
fulfilled."— Ibid.

This same Gospel was preached to Seth, and to all
the antediluvian Patriarchs, and they ministered under
its authority. By its power, as we have already shown,
Enoch and his people were translated. Of Noah it is
written: "And the Lord ordained Noah after his own
order, and commanded him that he should go forth and
declare his gospel unto the children of men, even as it
was given unto Enoch." And further, to quote from
the testimony of Noah before the flood: "And it
came to pass that Noah continued his preaching unto the
people, saying, Hearken, and give heed unto my words;
believe and repent of your sins, and be baptized in the
name of Jesus • Christ, the Son of God, even as our
fathers did, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, that
ye may have all things made manifest; and if ye do
not this, the floods will come in upon you."

From this we learn that the principles of the Gospel
in the first ages of the world were identical with those
taught in our day.

The Gospel and the Holy Priesthood continued from
Noah to Abraham. "Abraham received the priesthood
from Melchizedek, who received it through the lineage
of his fathers, even till Noah." (Doc and Cov., Ixxxiv,

184

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

14, p. 289.) As Paul writes, "And the Scripture, fore-
seeing that God would justify the heathen through faith,
preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, "In
thee shall all nations be blessed;" whilst Jesus declared,
"Abraham saw my day and was glad." The knowledge
and practice of the Gospel were perpetuated through
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and other Patriarchs, until the age
of Moses, who, it is said, esteemed "the reproach of
Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt;" and
of the Israelites, of whom he was the great lawgiver,
Paul writes:

"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be
ignorant how that all. our fathers were under the cloud,
and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized
unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all
eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the
same spiritual drink: (For they drank of that spiritual
Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.)
But with many of them God was not pleased: for they
were overthrown in the wilderness." — 1 Cor., x, 1 — 5.

The further history of the Gospel in its relation to
the house of Israel is briefly told in the following para-
graphs from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants:

""Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of
Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanc-
tify his people that they might behold the face of God;
but they hardened their hearts and could not endure
his presence, therefore the Lord in his wrath (for his
anger was kindled against them) swore that they should
not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which
rest is the fulness of his glory. Therefore he took
Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also;
and the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood
holdeth the. key of the ministering of angels and the
preparatory gospel; which gospel is the gospel of re-
pentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins,
and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord
in his wrath caused to continue with the house of
Aaron among the children of Israel until John, whom

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 185

God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from
his mother's womb; for he was baptized while he was
yet in his childhood, and was ordained by the angel of
God at the time he was eight days old unto this power,
to. overthrow the" kingdom of the Jews, and to make
straight the way of the Lord before the . face of his
people, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord, in
whose hand is given all powder." — Sec. lxxxiv, 23 — 28,
p. 290, 291.

It was this same Gospel that the crucified Eedeemer
commanded His disciples to preach, when " he said unto
them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel
to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized,
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe:
In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak
with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if
they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them ;
they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall re-
cover." — Mark, xvi, 15 — 18.

And Mark testifies: "They went forth, and preached
every where, the Lord working with them, and confirm-
ing the word with signs following."

Hence we find on the day of Pentecost, Peter, the
senior of the Apostles, in answer to the cry of the
believing multitude, "Men and brethren, what shall we
do?" replying in the words already quoted: "Repent
and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of
Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins; and .ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is
unto you and your children, and to all that are afar
off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." —
Acts, ii, 38, 39.

Again, it was this same everlasting, unalterable, un-
changeable Gospel whose restoration to the earth John,
the Apostle, spoke of as follows:

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of
heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto
them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and

186

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud
voice, Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour
of his judgment is come: and worship him that made
heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of
waters." — Revelation, xiv, 6, 7.

From the Bible, we turn to the Book of Mormon,
and in its 'pages discover that the same Gospel which
Jesus directed His disciples to go into all the world
and preach, was preached on this continent, from the
earliest ages. The Jaredites became acquainted with it
through the revelations given to the brother of Jared;
in one of which Jesus said unto him:

" Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foun-
dation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I
am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In
me shall all mankind have light and that eternally,
even they who shall believe on my name; and they
shall become my sons and my daughters." — Ether, iii, 14.

"And he ministered unto him, even as he ministered
unto the Nephites." — Ether, iii, 18.

The principles of this Gospel were very fully under-
stood by the Nephites before the advent of the Messiah.
We quote from a sermon of the younger Alma. He
says:

" Now if it had not been for the plan of redemp-
tion, which was laid from the foundation of the world,
there could have been no resurrection of the dead; but
there was a plan of redemption laid, which shall bring
to pass the resurrection of the dead, of which has been
spoken. And now behold, if it were possible that our
first parents could have went forth and partaken of the
tree of life, they would have been for ever miserable,
having no preparatory state; and thus the plan of
redemption would have been frustrated, and the word of
God would have been void, taking none effect. But be-
hold, it was not so; but it was appointed unto man
that they must die; and after death they must come to
judgment; even that same judgment of which we have
spoken, which is the end. And after God had appointed

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 187

that these things should come unto man, behold, then
he saw that it was expedient that man should know
concerning the things whereof he had appointed unto
them; therefore he sent angels to converse with them,
who caused men to behold of his glory." — Alma, xii,
25—29.

It will be seen from this, in the first place, that,
as we have before stated, God's plan in relation to man
was that he should fall, and having fallen and obtained
a knowledge of good and evil, (which knowledge he
could not have obtained without placing himself in that
position,) then it became necessary that he should know
concerning the atonement and redemption which should
be brought about through the mediation of Jesus Christ;
and hence the angel communicated, as before related,
this knowledge to Adam, and Alma's testimony on this
continent is found to agree precisely with the testimony
given in the Pearl of Great Price, pertaining to the
revelation of God's will through an angel to Adam.
We again quote from the same discourse:

"And they began from that time forth to call on
his name; therefore God conversed with men, and made
known unto them the plan of redemption, which had
been prepared from the foundation of the world; and
this he made known unto them according to their faith
and repentance, and their holy works; wherefore he gave
commandments unto men, they having first transgressed
the first commandments as to things which were tem-
poral, and becoming as Gods, knowing good from evil,
placing themselves in a state to act, or being placed in-
a state to act according to their wills and pleasures,
whether to do evil or to do good; therefore God gave
unto them commandments, after having made known
unto them the plan of redemption, that they should
not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death,
which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining
unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption
could have no power, for the works of justice could
not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of

188 THE MEDfATION AND ATONEMENT.

God. But God did call on men, in the name of his
Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was
laid,) saying, If ye will repent, and harden not your
hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine
only begotten Son; therefore, whosoever repenteth, and
hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy
through mine only begotten Son, unto a remission of
his sins; and these shall enter into my rest. And who-
soever will harden his heart, and will do iniquity, be-
hold, I swear in my wrath that he shall not enter into
my rest." — Alma, xii, 30 — 35.

When Jesus Himself appeared to the Nephites, He
preached the same identical principles that He had pre-
viously taught to the Jews, adding occasionally further
truths, because of the greater faith of the first named
people; "And he_did_expound all things, even from
the beginning' even until the time he should come in
his glory." Amongst other things He said:- "Whosoe ver
will Jiearken unto my wo rds and repenteth^ and is "bap=
tized, the same -shall be saved. Search the prophets, for
many there be that testify-oiL4te§_jyiL n g s -" — 3 Nep'hi,
xxiii, 5.-*»—

And it is this same Gospel, attended by the same
power and spirit, blessed by the same inspiration, and
led by the same Priesthood, that is now being preached
to all the world for a witness. Through its principles,
and by its power the Kingdom of God will be estab-
lished, righteousness spread, evil overcome, and Satan be;
vanquished; by it Zion and the New Jerusalem will be
built up, Enoch and his city be received, the work of
the Millennium be done, the renovation of the earth
accomplished, and all God's glorious will' be fulfilled,
until the vision becomes a reality which Daniel saw and
wrote:

"Behold, one like the Son of man came with the|
clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days,
and they brought him near before him. And there was
given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, thai
all people, nations, and languages ' should serve him; his

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 189

dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not
pass away, and his kingdom, that which shall not be
destroyed. * * * And the kingdom

and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under
the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the
saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlast-
ing kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey
him."— Daniel, vii, 13, 14, 27."

19U THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

APPENDIX.

The Ideas of a General Atonement and Redemption, Entertained by
Ancient Heathen Nations, Derived Originally from the Teachings of
Earlier Servants of God.

The following are some natural deductions drawn
from the theories entertained by men and recorded in
history, which tend to establish rather than to overturn
the principles which are so clearly demonstrated in the
foregoing pages, exhibiting and showing that the atone-
ment was a great plan of the Almighty for the salva-
tion, redemption and exaltation of the human family;
and that the pretenders in the various ages had drawn
whatever of truth they possessed, from a knowledge of
those principles taught by the Priesthood from the
earliest periods of recorded time; instead of Christianity
being indebted, as some late writers would allege, to the
turbid systems of heathen mythology and to pagan cere-
monials.

We believe in the foregoing pages it has been clearly
demonstrated to all Latter-day Saints, that the prophecy
and promise of the coming of the Son of God was
fully understood in every dispensation of God's provi-
dence from the earliest period of the world's history,
down through the succeeding ages, everywhere and at
all times when the Church of God existed on the
earth. Furthermore, that the doctrine of th§ atone
ment, as understood by us, was understood in like
manner -by the ancient servants -of the Lord, and that
it was the central principle of their faith, the founda-
tion of their hope for eternal felicity and salvation, and
their only trust for the resurrection of their bodies and
life everlasting in the presence of the Father. Again

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 19l

that the ancient Patriarchs, Seers, Prophets, High Priests
and others, were almost as intimately acquainted with
the earthly life and ministry of the Savior, by and
through the gift of prophecy and the spirit of revelation,
as we are by the perusal of His history, given to us
in the sacred Scriptures. These worthies of olden time
knew where He would be born and the names that
would be given to Him; that His mother would be
called Mary, and be a virgin of the tribe of Judah and
house of David. Herod's massacre of the Innocents, and
the flight of the holy family into Egypt, were not
hidden from them. They spake of Christ's baptism by
John in Jordan, and of the Divine approval that would
follow; they prophesied of His ministry, rejoiced in
His wonderful works of power and deeds of charity
and love; they understood that He should be betrayed
for thirty pieces of silver; they mourned at the vision
of His sufferings and death, and rejoiced at his triumph
and resurrection. Even the minor details of the soldiers
parting His raiment among them, His death between
two malefactors, and His burial in the rich man's tomb
were revealed; and still further, His descent into Hade's,
His preaching to the spirits in prison, His visits to the
Nephites and His ultimate ascension to the Father, we're
all comprehended. They knew that He would triumph
over death, hell and the grave, be crowned with glory
at the right hand of the Majesty on high, and that all
power would be given to Him in heaven and on earth.
These and many more details were understood, prophe-
sied of, talked about and rejoiced in by the Priesthood
and Saints from the days of Adam to the hour that
they began to be fulfilled by His advent and incar-
nation.

It is needless for us to go backward to the days
before the flood to learn to what extent these truths
were understood by the antediluvian races; for all the
accounts that we have of those peoples come down to
us through the channel of the Holy Priesthood, and all
the records V)oks, traditions, etc., of those early inhabi-

192

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

tants of our globe were brought to the children of the
renovated earth through one family, that of Noah ; and
that Patriarch, by right of universal fatherhood to the
new generations, ruled them as High Priest, Patriarch
and King, as one to whom the living God revealed His
mind and will, through whom the keys, rights and
powers of the everlasting Priesthood were continued
upon the earth, and with whom special covenants were
made by the Almighty and the bow set in the clouds
as an everlasting token of their perpetuity and un-
changeableness.

It will be . perceived that in the first days after
the flood there was but one religion, and that was the
worship of the true - God under the ministration and
guidance of His duly authorized servants. Further, that
the belief of the first inhabitants of the postdiluvian
age was not only the true one, but it was accompanied
by the power and authority of the Holy Priesthood, which
received revelations direct from the Almighty. Thus the
young world, like the old, was opened with a dispensa-
tion of God's mercy, and the posterity of Noah were
not left to grope in the dark for light and truth, any
more than had been the immediate descendants of our
great original father. The effects of thus repeopling the
earth under the direct and immediate guidance of Jeho-
vah, through His duly appointed servants, have been felt
through all succeeding _ generations; for men, as they
scattered over the earth, took with them the seeds of
Divine truth, and though, frequently, in after ages, they
disfigured it with false and base theories of their own,
introduced all manner of corruptions into their forms of
worship, established orders of uninspired and unauthor-
ized priesthood, and replaced the worship of the true
God by idolatry, yet the fact of the existence of God
the universal Father was not entirely forgotten, nor was
the doctrine of the atonement ever utterly obliterated
from the minds of men. So strong and so universal a
hold had this principle in the varied religions of an-
tiquity, that its very strength has been used as an argfu-

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 193

ment against the doctrine; and it has been vigorously
asserted that the Gospel taught by the Savior was of
pagan origin, and that He was simply a reformer who
took the most excellent wisdom of past ages and framed
it into a code of morals and system of religious faith
to suit His own ideas and accomplish His own pur-
poses, however noble those purposes might have been.

The earliest departures from the straight and narrow
path to the lives that are eternal, appear to have been
made in Chaldea and Egypt. In the former land,
Nimrod was one of the first leaders in apostacy and
wickedness.* These . evils so rapidly spread, that as
early as the days of Melchizedec and Abraham, the
worship of false deities and idols seems to have become
almost universal; and even those who did not worship
graven images, the starry hosts of heaven, or the forces
of nature, had so far perverted the principles of the
Gospel, that they taught numerous soul destroying errors,
totally inconsistent with the plan devised by heaven. In
Egypt the apostacy began, and an unauthorized priest-
hood was established as early as the days of the
grandson of Ham. The origin of this defection is ex-
plained in the Book of Abraham, as follows:

"Now the first government of Egypt was established
by Pharoah, the eldest son of Egyptus, the daughter of
Ham, and it was after the manner of the government
of Ham, which was Patriarchal, Pharoah being a righ-
teous man, established his kingdom and judged his peo-
ple wisely and justly all his days, seeking earnestly to
imitate that order established by the fathers in the first
generations, in the days of the first Patriarchal reign,
even in the reign of Adam, and also of Noah, his
father, who blessed him with the blessings of the earth,
and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as
pertaining to the Priesthood.

"Now, Pharoah being of that lineage by which he
could not have the right of Priesthood, notwithstanding

* Josephus' Antiquities, Book I, Chap. 4.

194 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

the Pharoahs would fain claim it from Noah, through
Ham."

As the idolatries of Chaldea and Egypt gave marked
tone and color to the mythologies of the dominant
races of antiquity on the eastern hemisphere, we shall
not trace the growth and development of the religions
of Persia, Greece, Rome, etc., through their various
branches and ramifications. Such an effort would require
a volume; but we shall confine ourselves simply to a
brief consideration of the doctrine of the atonement, as
understood by the ancient Gentile nations; referring only
to such other theories and ideas as have naturally a
bearing on that doctrine.

As a starting point we believe we may state with
assurance of its truth that the expectation of the com-
ing of a Son of God, a Messiah, in the flesh was uni-
versal with all the leading nations that flourished in
the ages previous to the advent of the Redeemer. This
is true of the people of Egypt, Babylon, Arabia, Persia,
Hindostan, Greece and Rome; as also of the races that
inhabited the American continent. And so strong in cer-
tain cases had this idea grown that by gradual stages it
became changed into the belief that that expected Son
of God had already come, and such a being was rever-
enced and worshiped under various names. In Greece
and Rome this idea became so prevalent that nearly
every very eminent man was thought to be a son of one
of the gods; and evil designing men sometimes person-
ated these deities on purpose to seduce the virtuous of
the other sex, whose chastity they could overcome in no
other way than by falsely declaring themselves to be the
god for whom such women had particular reverence and
esteem.* Whilst on the other hand young women who
found themselves mothers without husbands would cun-
ningly declare that their children were the offspring of
a god; or, to use the words of the historian Grote, when
speaking of Greece, "the furtive pregnancy of young

► See Josephus' Antiquities, Book xviii, Chapter iii.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 195

women, often by a god, is one of the most frequently
recurring incidents in the legendary narratives of the
country." To such an extent did this excess run, that
at a later period a decree was issued subjecting to a very
severe penalty any woman who should pretend that her
child was of divine parentage. One writer states: "Many
are the cases noted in history of young maidens claim-
ing a paternity for their male offspring by a god. In
Greece it became so common that the reigning king is-
sued an edict, decreeing the death of all young women
who should offer such an insult to Deity as to lay to
him the charge of begetting their children." Whilst on-
this point Mr. Draper writes: "Immaculate conceptions
and celestial descents were so currently received in those
days, that whoever had greatly distinguished himself in
the affairs of men was thought to be of supernatural
lineage. Even in Rome, centuries later, no one could
with safety have denied that that city owed its founder
Romulus, to an accidental meeting of the god Mars with
the virgin Rhea Sylvia, as she went with her pitcher for
water to the spring. The Egyptian disciples of Plato
would have looked with anger on those who rejected the
legend that Perictione, the mother of the great philoso-
pher, a pure virgin, had suffered an immaculate concep-
tion through the influences of Apollo, and that the god
had declared to Ariston, to whom she was betrothed, the
parentage of the child. When Alexander issued his let-
ters, orders and decrees, styling himself 'King Alexander,
the son of Jupiter Ammon/ they •came to the inhabi-
tants of Egypt and Syria with an authority that now
can hardly be realized. The freethinking Greeks, how-
ever, put on such a supernatural pedigree its proper
value. Olympias [Alexander's mother], who, of course,
better than all others knew the facts of the case, used
jestingly to say, that 'she wished Alexander would cease
from incessantly embroiling her with Jupiter's wife.' " —
Draper's Conflict between Religion and Science.

Returning to Egypt where, as before stated, a priest-
hood, disowned of God, had been set up, we are in-

196 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

formed* that those who were initiated into the inner
mysteries of its mythology, were taught that God created
all things at the first, by His first born, who was the
author and giver of all knowledge in heaven and on
earth, being at the same time the wisdom and the
word of God. The incarnation and earthly life of this
important being constituted the grand mystery of their
entire religious system. So great was their faith in the
advent of "this Holy One, that they had chambers pre-
pared in their temples for His nativity.

The priesthood of the Egyptians, though entirely with-
out Divine authority, taught many great truths which
they had received from Noah, through Ham and
Pharaoh, and it took generations before these Gospel
truths were so entirely overlaid and corrupted by false-
hood and pagan innovations, that they- became undis-
cernable to all but the initiated. It is an important
fact, holding good of other ancient civilizations as well
as that of Egypt, that the farther we trace back their
religious beliefs and mythologies, the purer does the
creed become, the nearer it approaches to heavenly
truth, and the stronger and more evident are the traces
of Gospel teachings. This fact alone is sufficient to
prove that paganism had its origin in the revelations
of heaven, from which, in its various diverse branches,
it had turned and strayed, and by gradual growth, had
become the vile, inconsistent, degrading and loathsome
system which is abhorred by all pure minded, honorable
and intelligent people. Had the various forms of
ancient dominant pagan worship been radically and
entirely different, with only those features in common
that could reasonably be attributed to accident or the
inter-communication of races> the inference would be
strong that they had different drigins; but when, as is
the case, there is a strong family likeness, and that like-
ness grows stronger the further it is traced back, and
continually points to a common parentage, and that parent-

*See Osborn's "Religions of the World."

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.. 197

age is the truth as taught by the early patriarchs and in-
spired servants of heaven, our conclusions must necessarily
be that these correct and God-given teachings were the
source from whence the whole sprang, and the differences
in development arose from the varied incidents in the
history, and the peculiar surroundings of the various
races that gave a local hue and tinge to their forms of
belief. It is also noteworthy that the fundamental priD
ciples of the everlasting plan devised by infinite wisdom,
and which were the most widely taught and accepts,
are those which prevailed the most extensively in pagan
creeds, and which longest retained their hold in the
faith of the different races.* Amongst these ideas or
principles we will mention a few that were so general
that they might almost be called universal:

1st. The belief in one great father God.

2d. The expectation of the coming of His Son to
dwell in the flesh and redeem mankind.

3d. The belief in a resurrection, and in future
rewards and punishments for acts done in this life.

4th. The observance of the rite of sacrifice.

5th. The doctrine of repentance, and in certain
cases the ordinance of baptism.

We ask, when it is proved that all these principles
were taught by the duly appointed servants of God in
the earliest ages, where else but from them could the
ancient Gentile races have obtained their knowledge
thereof ?

Men have been ever prone to apostacy; our fallen
nature is at enmity with a godly life; sometimes in
one way, sometimes in another, Satan led men from the
right path and under the influences of a false or dia-
bolic inspiration many errors were introduced; as well
as through the natural corrupt ambition of men who
sought to obtain power over their fellows by promulgat-
ing new theories in the name of God and under the
auspices of religion. The "ologies" of to-day would have

*See writings of Hitzig, Hyde, Faber, Goodsir, Higgins, Osborn, Levy, etc.

198 . THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

been impossible in the days of Pharaoh and Nimrod.
The style of apostacy was necessarily fashioned by the
condition of men's minds, their advance in civilization,
and their understanding of physical laws. In the rudi-
mentary condition of the nations who scattered at Babel,
the easiest thing for them to do was to worship their
dead ancestors and the heavenly orbs. In due course
naturally followed the framing of idols, which at first
only represented the being or thing worshiped, but which
were afterwards regarded as gods themselves, and as
such reverenced. The idea of God's anger at men's
sins, associated with the law of sacrifice, led mankind
to believe that the more precious and beloved was the
offering to him who offered it, the more acceptable
would it be to heaven. As a result, men soon began
to offer up their sons and their daughters to appease
the wrath of their gods. Abraham informs us:

"Now, at this time it was the custom of tne priest
of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to offer up upon the
altar which was built in the land of Chaldea, for the
offering unto these strange gods, men, women and
children. And it came to pass that the priest made an
offering unto the god of Pharaoh, and alsc unto the
god of Shagreel, even after the manner of the Egyptians.
Now the god of Shagreel was the Sun. Even the
thank-offering of a child did the priest of Pharaoh
offer upon the altar which stood by the hill called
Potiphar's Hill, at the head of the plain of Olishem.
Now, this priest had offered upon this altar three virgins
at one time, who were* the daughters of Onitah, one of
the royal descent directly, from the loins of Ham. These
virgins were offered up because of their virtue; they
would not bow down to worship gods of wood or of
stone, therefore they were killed upon this altar, and it
was done after the manner of the Egyptians." — Book of
Abraham.

This practice of offering human sacrifices had be-
come very general on the eastern continent in Abra-
ham's day.

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 199

One peculiar phase of false doctrine with regard to
the atonement had grown strong in the days of this
Patriarch. It was "that the blood of the righteous Abel
was shed for sins."* This was a very natural mental
outgrowth among people who believed in the consequen-
ces of the fall of Adam and had been taught the ne-
cessity of a redeemer. It was a very easy thing to fall
into the error that as Adam had transgressed, so his im-
mediate son atoned by his blood for his father's act.
And in the spread of this incorrect idea of Abel's
atonement amongst the early peoples, may be
found the origin of the many diversified legends
of a sacrificed redeemer. This theory was taught at a
day so early in the world's history, that it spread with
the migrating races in every direction, so that traces of
it can be found from Hindostan to Spain, from the
Baltic to Ethiopia. Of course, every people in their own
language had their peculiar name for this savior, and
each race claimed him as theirs, as Abel certainly be-
longed as much to one as the other, having no posterity;
and by degrees they wove many fanciful and* mythical
legends round his life and death, varying according to
the tastes, imaginative power and environment of the
different races. This, to a very great extent, explains that
enigma to Christians, who believe that Gospel truths
were first taught by Jesus when in the flesh, how the
knowledge of the principle of the atonement and the
tradition of a Savior was so wide spread throughout the
world before His actual coming.

There is another way by which the knowledge of
these truths was taught. We refer to the extended
preaching of such worthies as Melchizedec, Abraham,
Jethro, Job, Jeremiah, Jonah and others; and above all
to that of the Apostles after the Redeemer's death.
Dispensation succeeded dispensation, as age succeeded
age; time and time again the people apostatized, but
each time some little remnant of divine truth remained

• Inspired translation of Genesis, xvii, 7.

200 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

with them. Jesus Christ was v preached by name soon
after the creation, as Cyrus was named by divine reve-
lation about two hundred years before his birth. Thus,
in some languages, we have accounts of great men of
God or gods, as the case may be, whose acts are said
to have been, in a greater or less degree, the
counterpart of those of the Messiah when He tabernacled in
the flesh; and whose names bear a most remarkable
likeness to that of the Son of God. Hence we have
Cheesna or Chrishna of Hindostan, and Hesus of the
Druids, both of which names bear a marked similarity
to those of the Redeemer; the first to Christ, the
second to Jesus. It appears altogether probable that the
histories of these men are simply the shadowy tra-
ditions of the Savior, the faint recollection of the
teachings of. inspired men, which were localized to suit
sectional vanity or pride of race; or that some ancient
teacher of their own peoples has been clothed with the
attributes and works of Christ, and during the lapse of
ages the acts and deeds of the two lives have been
intermingled in one, until at this day a rightful separa-
tion is impossible. This habit of mixing and mingling
the great deeds of several distinct persons, and forming
therefrom one grand, if not altogether harmonious whole j
is one well understood by those who have studied
the traditions of mankind; it is not peculiar to any
age or race, and even in our day we often find a
certain anecdote, whether real or imaginary, told of vari-
ous celebrities, some of whom may be yet living, while
others are among the recent dead. The effects of this
habit, when continued through long ages, amongst
semi-civilized or barbarous nations, went far to fashion
the history of their gods, and often to manufacture
deities out of altogether imaginary personages.

Modern revelation has restored another most im-
portant key to unlock the mystery of the almost uni-
versal knowledge of the Redeemer and of the plan of
the atonement. It is found in the statement that Jesus,
after his resurrection, visited at least the inhabitants of

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 201

two distinct portions of the earth, which could not
have been reached through the ministry of His Jewish
Apostles. These two peoples were the Nephites on this
land, and the Ten Tribes in their distant northern
home. The knowledge that the Mexicans, and other
aboriginal races of America had, at the time of their
discovery by the Spaniards, of the life of the Savior,
was so exact, that the Catholics suggested two
theories (both incorrect, however) to solve the mystery.
One was that the devil had invented an imitation gos-
pel to delude the Indians; the other, that the Apostle
Thomas had visited America and taught its people the
plan of salvation.

The story of the life of the Mexican divinity,
Quetzalcoatl, closely resembles that of the Savior; so
closely, indeed, that we can come to no other conclusion
than that Quetzalcoatl and Christ are the same being.
But the history of the former has been handed down
to us through an impure Lamanitish source, which has
sadly disfigured and perverted the original incidents and
teachings of the Savior's life and ministry. Regarding
this god, Humboldt writes: "How truly surprising is it
to find that the Mexicans, who seem to have been
unacquainted with the doctrine of the migration of the
soul and the Metempsychosis should have believed in the
incarnation of the only Son of the supreme God, Toma-
eateucili. For Mexican mythology, speaking of no other
Son of God, except Quetzalcoatl, who was born of
Chimelman, the virgin of Tula (without man), by His
breath alone, by which may be signified his word or
will, when it was announced to Chimelman, by the celes-
tial messenger, whom He dispatched to inform her that she
should conceive a son, it must be presumed this was
Quetzalcoatl, who was the only son. Other authors might be
adduced to show that the Mexicans believe that this Quetzal-
coatl was both God and man; that He had previously to
His incarnation existed from eternity, and that He had
been the Creator both of the world and man; and that
He had descended to reform the world by endurance,

202 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

and being king of Tula, -was crucified for the sins of
mankind, etc., as is plainly declared in the tradition of
Yucatan, and mysteriously represented in the Mexican
paintings."

The following brief extracts relating to Quetzalcoatl,
are from Lord Kingsborough's "Antiquities of Mexico."
Speaking of a certain plate, he observes: "Quetzalcoatl
is there painted in the attitude of a person crucified,
with the impression of nails in his hands and feet, but
not actually upon the cross." Again: "The seventy-third
plate of the Borgian MS. is the most remarkable of
all, for Quetzalcoatl is not only represented there as
crucified upon a cross of Greek form, but his burial
and descent into hell are also depicted in a very
curious manner." In another place he observes: "The
Mexicans believe that Quetzalcoatl took human nature
upon him, partaking of all the infirmities of man, and
was not exempt from sorrow, pain or death, which he
suffeud voluntarily to atone for the sins of man."

Rosales, in his history, when speaking of the
people of the extreme southern portion of America,
states: "They had heard their fathers say, a won-
derful man had come to that country * *
who performed many miracles, cured the sick with water,
caused it to rain that their crops of grain might grow,
kindled fire at a breath, healing the sick and giving
sight to the blind; and that he spoke with as much
propriety and elegance in the language of their country
as if he had always resided in it, addressing them in
words very sweet and new to them, telling them that
the Creator of the universe resided in the highest place
of heaven, and that many men and women, resplendent
as the sun, dwelt with him."

Thus we see that in the traditions with regard to
this especial God, we have an almost complete life of
the Savior, from the announcement of His birth to His
virgin mother by an angel, to His resurrection from
the grave. Had we space, other extracts could be
given, showing that there were many details, not above

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 203

mentioned, ascribed to Quetzalcoatl, that relate to inci-
dents in the life of Christ. The Book of Mormon
alone explains the mystery. The account there given of
Christ's ministrations amongst the forefathers of these
peoples makes the whole thing plain. We understand,
through that record, how and by what means they ob-
tained this great knowledge, and can also readily per-
ceive how the unworthy descendants of those whom the
Savior visited, gradually added much childish rubbish to
the original facts; making their story, like almost all
other mythology, an unseemly compound of heavenly
truth and puerile fable. But, in view of these facts,
when all things are considered, it is almost a wonder
that so much of the truth was retained to the days
when America became known to Europeans.

We find, in the mythology of the Northmen, certain
traditions that lead us to imagine that it is possible
that the visit of the Savior to the Ten Tribes was by
some means communicated to them. But this is simply
a conjecture. However, it is asserted that they claimed
that Woden, one of their principal deities, was a descend-
ant of King David, a very curious circumstance, that
it is "difficult to explain, only on the supposition of
Christ's visit, and that Woden, with them, occupied the
place that Quetzalcoatl did with the Mexicans.

There is yet another source from which the ancients
obtained their ideas of the life and mission of the Son
of God. v It is to be found in the translation of Enoch
and his city. The fact of Enoch's translation was
generally known by the people who lived immediately
after the flood. It had occurred so short a time before,
that it was almost a matter of personal recollection with
the sons of Noah. They must also have been acquainted
with the fact that others were caught up by the power
of heaven into Zion, and it would appear strongly prob-
able that Melchizedec and many of his people were also
translated. Revelation does not state this in so many
words, but the inference to be drawn from what is said,
points clearly in that direction. The»fact of these trans-

204 THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT.

lations, the frequent visits of angels to men holding
the Priesthood, and the manifestation of God's power
over the elements of nature made manifest through His
servants, laid a foundation for many of the fables of
ancient mythology; some of which; if we were to change
the names and localities to those of Bible history, would
not be as far from the truth as many suppose. This
era of inter-communication with the holy beings of the
other world was easily magnified and distorted into the
Golden Age when gods dwelt with men, associated with
much of earth life, and were swayed by passions very
much as were their/ mortal companions. And, as before
remarked, the simplicity of these traditions was greatly
changed as the ages rolled around, until they were com-
pletely overlaid and hidden by abominable and mon-
strous fables, invented, taught and used by the priests and
their associates for their own sinister and unholy pur-
poses.

From the whole of these statements, we gather that
while men, who have written in relation to the various
gods, or virgins who have, each in her turn, conceived
and borne a god or a messiah, would argue that the
accounts of the birth, ministry, death, resurrection, etc.,
of the Savior, were simply a backing up and resuscit-
ating of some of the old legends of heathen mythology
which had been in existence in ages long antecedent to
His advent, and that, therefore, the account of the life
and works of the Redeemer was simply an act of priest-
craft, to introduce another messiah, and another estab-
lishment of religion in the interests of the projectors,
and that Christianity was tsimply a copy of the old pagan-
isms that had exhibited themselves in the forms above
referred to, whereas the reverse is clearly demonstrated
in the foregoing chapters on the atonement. The fact
is clearly proved, instead of Christianity deriving its
existence and facts from the ideas and practices of
heathen mythologists, and from the various false systems
that had been introduced by apostacy, unrecognized pre-
tensions and fraud,* that those very systems themselves

THE MEDIATION AND ATONEMENT. 205

were obtained from the true Priesthood, and founded on
its teachings from the earliest ages to the advent of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; that those holy principles
were taught to Adam, and by him to his posterity; that
Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and the various Prophets had
a,ll borne testimony of this grand and important event,
wherein the interest and happiness of the whole world
were concerned, pertaining to time and to eternity. The
Gospel is a system, great, grand and comprehensive,
commencing in eternity, extending through all time, and
then reaching into the eternities to come; and the ideas
with regard to these disjointed materials, that are
gathered together from the turbid waters of heathen
mythology, are so much clap trap and nonsense, calcu-
lated only to deceive the unwary, superstitious and
ignorant, and are as far below those great and eternal
principles of heavenly truth which permeate through all
time, penetrate into the heavens, and are interwoven
with all the interests, happiness and exaltation of
man, as the earth is below the heavens above. The
object of placing this statement before our brethren, is
to prove and demonstrate, what was stated in the com-
mencement, that these truths should "grow together unto
the confounding of false doctrines, and laying down of
contentions."

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